The Last Black and the Start of the Storm
by Tiger without stripes
Summary: Annastazia Black (heiress of the noble and ancient house of Black and daughter of mass murderer Sirius Black) lives a sheltered and privileged life in Wiltshire. Well, that is until a mud-blood, blood-traitor and the-boy-that-didn’t-die suddenly disrupt the peace and quiet that Annastazia has treasured for eleven years and start a storm.
1. The Verdict

**_Hello guys! This is the first chapter of 'The Last Black and the Start of the Storm.' This is about Annastazia Black's first year at Hogwarts! Hope you enjoy it!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter_**

 ** _Chapter One: The Verdict_**

"What about... 'The girl who _gained_ '? I mean, she _is_ now one of the richest people in Britain." Suggested the woman, who was talking to people who held microphones behind her.

"I dunno, Skeeter. Sounds a bit like 'The boy who lived', dun it?" The man said, scratching his head.

Skeeter's mouth formed a predatory smirk.

 _"Exactly."_

"Miss Skeeter, we're going _live_ on the radio in two minutes." Said Miss Hedge, her manager's assistant.

Skeeter straitened her blazer and brushed of her pencil skirt. This could be her big break if she played her cards right.

Rita was sick of sitting in that stuffy ministry office all day, writing up reports for her boss and not getting credit. So when she applied for the daily prophet, she never in her wildest dreams thought she would be excepted and assigned to the radio station. Rita was exited. This was a big story and everyone wanted to hear about it. She had a knack for making things sound bad when it was actually good, and good when it was actually bad. Rita had a way with words and eager to express her talent.

"One minute, Rita."

Excitement was radiating of Rita in waves. With a shaking hand, she raised the script she had prepared earlier and gave it a once over.

"Thirty seconds."

This is it. She was unique and she was going to tell this story in a way a story has never been told before.

"Ten seconds."

Looking around the atrium, Rita realised there was a crowd forming around them. Around her.

"Three."

Rita was going to do this.

"Two."

Because she was Rita Skeeter.

She was born to shine.

"One."

" _Helloooo_ wizarding Britain, good morning, this is Rita Skeeter reporting from inside the Ministry atrium (there are lots of loose tiles here, _who_ are the _idiots_ in charge of maintenance?) where we have just witnessed many things happen. One, about thirty people (some looking like they had just returned from a long stay in _Azkaban_. And let's face it. They're _mostly_ Blacks. So they probably have) left to go to court room eighteen. Two, only twenty eight came back up. So it appears, that a decision has been made on the last Black's custody case, which has been dragged out for like _four_ hours, my feet are now hurting. Now if you aren't familiar with this case- firstly, have _you_ been living under a rock?-Annastazia Black-a _mere_ infant-has been left parent-less after the body of her mother (Marlene McKinnon, I went to school with her, _disgusting_ manners) was found just outside Diagon Alley last week. And just a couple of days ago, her father was incarcerated in Azkaban prison after being found guilty of _numerous_ crimes, including the murder of thirteen muggles. We don't know the verdict or who has been given guardianship but it should be announced _very_ soon."

"And _cut_!" Yelled Miss Hedge, who was holding a clipboard and a quill "That was very good Miss Skeeter, but maybe keep those snide comments to a minimum! We're back on air as soon as the verdict's decided!"

Rita nodded and gave Miss Hedge a very fake smile.

Ripples of whispers had dispersed throughout the crowd and Rita was proud that she caused them.

Rita had the sudden urge to see how many people were in the growing crowd.

" _Homenum Revelio_ " Rita whispered, waving her wand discretely.

As soon as the results came back, it left Rita in awe.

"Sixty Eight?" She muttered to herself, a grin growing on her face.

Rita was going to get noticed!

Suddenly, a paper aeroplane flew above Rita and landed on the clipboard of Miss Hedge.

Miss Hedge gasped and whispered something into Rita's ear.

"We're back on air in thirty seconds!" Shouted Miss Hedge.

Rita straightened her blazer again and tucked a fly away strand of hair behind her ear. What she was about to do could get her killed. She was going to do it anyway.

"We're back on in three seconds."

Rita looked at the anticipation on the faces in the crowd and began to speak.

"Welcome back, we have now received the exiting news of _who_ is going to be Miss Black's guardians an- oh! Look here he comes!"

Cameras flashed as the microphones and recorders followed Rita over to Miss Black's new guardian.

" _Lord_ Malfoy!" She announced, suddenly parting the crowd and walking through the middle of them.

Lord Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

"Care to comment on you winning custody of Miss Black. I heard you made a _healthy_ donation to the Minister!" Rita said to him.

"My wife and I are _simply_ overjoyed." Lord Malfoy stated, his emotionless and cold face forming a very fake smile. He chose not to say anything about the bribing comment.

Rita was going to say something vindictive and snide but Lord Malfoy abruptly walked off to the floo network in the atrium.

"Well, _that_ was rude. So, listeners, the last Black has been sent to the Malfoys- _poor_ _her_ -but what about about our _saviour_ , Harry Potter? We'll talk about that after a quick break!"

"You know, Skeeter." Said her boss, heading through the crowd with a smirk "You'd be a good writer for the daily prophet."

 ** _So, that's the first chapter. I hope it was ok! This chapter was basically just introducing Why Annastazia lives at the Malfoys. The next chapter should be up_ _soon because I've already finished it. Reviews give me life! Make sure to review!_**

 ** _TIGER WITHOUT STRIPES_**


	2. Piscifors

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Chapter Two: Piscifors

"Who was the first person to be struck of the Black family tapestry, Miss Black?"

Annastazia looked up to see her pure blood etiquette teacher staring at her from the head of the table.

Mrs Leach was a nasty, old woman who liked to pick on Annastazia because her father married a McKinnon.

Mrs Leach just didn't like that Annastazia had more pure blood in her pinky finger than Mrs Leach had in her whole body.

The only reason Mrs Leach was allowed to teach etiquette to a bunch of promising pure bloods was that she was a descendant of Casper Crouch, who was one of the wealthiest people alive in wizarding Britain at the time.

"Eduardus Black." She answered, lazily.

Annastazia knew her family tree off by heart, and did not need to practise memorising the different branches.

Mrs Leach then moved and snarled a question at Millicent Bulstrode, who was at the far end of the table.

Pansy Parkinson, who was sitting opposite to Annastazia, sent her a sweet smile that made Annastazia want to be sick.

Pansy wasn't trying to be nice, she was just trying to be her friend so that Uncle Lucius would invite the Parkinsons to dine at Malfoy Manor again.

Uncle Lucius said he wasn't going to invite the Parkinsons again because of what happened in April.

Lord and Lady Parkinson and their daughter Pansy were invited to dine with Uncle Lucius, Aunt Narcissa, Draco and Annastazia in Malfoy Manor.

Lady Parkinson and Aunt Narcissa didn't really get along but they hid their dislike because they were pure blood ladies and were expected to get along.

Half way through dessert, Lady Parkinson made a comment about Aunt Narcissa being illegitimate, a half blood and that Druella Black was secretly in love with a muggle.

Pansy laughed and said that her mother was absolutely right.

This made Aunt Narcissa angry because she definitely wasn't illegitimate and her mother wasn't in love with a muggle.

Aunt Narcissa and Lady Parkinson had a huge argument that ended in Lady Parkinson throwing chocolate gateau all over Aunt Narcissa's new designer dress robes.

Annastazia and Draco watched in amazement when Pansy began to cry like a muggle baby and proclaim that the only reason that her mother was acting like a crazy person, was that Aunt Narcissa was mental.

After that happened, Uncle Lucius told the Parkinson's to get out and to take their devil spawn with them.

Pansy was not allowed back into Malfoy Manor, where they usually held their pure blood classes, so today they were holding the class at Nott Manor.

Annastazia was good friends with Theodore Nott because he didn't like muggle hunting and she didn't either.

She was sat between Theodore and Neville Longbottom, who's parents fought for the light side.

Neville only attended etiquette classes because his grandmother made him.

Annastazia was also Neville's ball room dancing parter.

Neville was a good friend but he couldn't dance to save his life.

When the class was dismissed, everybody left except Draco and Annastazia because they were going to have lunch at Nott Manor.

"Are you exited to go to Diagon Alley this year?" Theodore asked them, as the walked towards the benches in the garden.

Annastazia loved Nott Manor's garden. Not only did it not hold those pesky garden nomes, the garden also had the pervasive smell of roses, one of Annastazia's favourite flowers.

"Not really." Draco shrugged. "We go every year."

"It's special, Draco. We're going to get our equipment that we need to start Hogwarts..." Annastazia said.

She sat down on the bench nearest to the the flower bed that held the sweet peas.

Sweet peas were her absolute favourite flower in the world, not just because of their intoxicatingly beautiful smell, but because Sweet pea was what her Grandfather Abraxas called her.

To the naked muggle eye, Abraxas Malfoy would be seen as cold, unforgiving and malicious, but to Annastazia, her Grandfather Abraxas was the most kind person you'd ever meet. Abraxas showered her in love and gifts and Grandfather Abraxas favoured her to his own heir, Draco. Perhaps it was because she was a girl, and Grandfather Abraxas spoiled her because he did not have a daughter. Who knows...

But, back to the topic of Hogwarts...

"Hogwarts." Draco spat. "What a pathetic excuse for a school. You know Theodore, Father wanted to send me to Durmstrang and Annastazia to Beuxbatons but Mother wanted us close to home so we could come back to the Manor in the holidays."

Draco liked to rant a lot about how muggle borns and muggles infect the wizarding world.

One could say he inherited his Father's hate for muggles.

"My Father thinks if I go to Hogwarts I will get to see how dirty the mud bloods and muggle lovers are and I will agree to go muggle hunting with him." Said Theodore, with a smirk on his face.

Annastazia zoned out as the boys gossiped about Dumbledore, Hogwarts and if there was any way to get food and drink in between lessons.

"Do you ever wonder" Annastazia interrupted "What would happen if we're not put into Slytherin."

Sharing a glance, the boys stopped talking and looked at Annastazia.

"Annastazia..." Draco said quietly. "Your not insinuating you want to be in Gryffindor, are you?"

"No! Of course not! Why would I?"

"Because Father will be mad if he thinks you inherited-" Draco looked behind him, and then in a hushed voice said. "-the gene..."

Theodore shifted uncomfortably and Annastazia gasped.

The gene...

Noble and Ancient houses think that there is a 'gene' some of the people in their family inherit, which makes them a blood traitor.

Annastazia was lucky, very lucky, that her Uncle Lucius and Aunt Narcissa wanted to take her in because Annastazia had a higher chance of inheriting 'the gene' because her Father was a blood traitor.

Her Father...

She almost scowled at the thought of him.

It wasn't a hidden fact in her family that her Father was a blood-traitor, so it made it hard for her to merge into pure blood society.

And her Mother...

Her Mother died of suspicious circumstances but everyone knew it was her Father, but why he wasn't convicted with her murder nobody knows. The rest of the McKinnons were brutally murdered by severing hexes at their manor house in Kent.

Her whole family, the Black and McKinnon sides, was shrouded in mystery. Her Grandfather Orian's night time wander, which he never returned from, her Grandmother Walburga's alcohol problem and suicide after being drove to insanity after both of her sons left her and how her Uncle Regulus's life was viciously taken by death eaters after getting cold feet about the noble cause.

She was the last of the Blacks, and she was determined to make sure she made her dead relatives proud, so that meant she had to get into Slytherin.

"Of course I don't, Draco. Stop being stupid." Annastazia said.

"Yes but you just said-" Continued Draco.

"Theodore, is lunch ready?" Asked Annastazia, interrupting Draco.

"Should be. Do you want to head inside?" Theodore said.

Annastazia nodded.

As they walked inside, Annastazia could feel Draco's eyes burning holes in the side of her head, so she turned around to look at him but he turned away.

"To answer your earlier question, Annastazia. I think that when we were born we had a path set for us, and we can not change it. Say we ended up in...Gryffindor" Theodore spat the name out like poison. "There is nothing we can do to change that. The lowly qualities of a Gryffindor would be imbedded in us, and we can not change that. So, we could already be on our way to becoming blood traitors. Scary, isn't it?"

Yes, very scary.

Annastazia knew that if she was put in Gryffindor, she would probably be kicked out of the household. Ravenclaw would be alright, that was acceptable. Being a Hufflepuff would be a death sentence. However, being in Slytherin could open gateways to things she never knew possible and get her a higher standing in pure blood society, so if Annastazia has to choose what house she'd be in, it would definitely be Slytherin.

They entered the dining room to see Lady Nott already sat at the dining room table.

"Annastazia, Draco. How lovely it is to see you again." She greeted.

Annastazia and Draco took this as a sign that they were allowed to sit down so they did.

"It's just soup for lunch, but the vegetables are organic." Lady Nott said, watching a house elf dish out some soup for her.

"It looks simply delicious, Lady Nott." Annastazia complimented.

Lunch passed quickly, and soon it was time to go back to Malfoy Manor. One of the Nott's house elf took them home. Draco moaning all the way up the drive way about him having to see Aunt Narcissa's mother, Druella Black, tomorrow. Personally, Annastazia didn't know what all the fuss was about. Annastazia would loved to be spoilt by her own Grandparents but her Grandmother was dead and her Grandfather was missing presumed dead. She did have Grandfather Abraxas, Uncle Lucius's Father, but he had failing health, and she had not seen him for six months.

As soon as they entered the Manor, Draco rushed up the grand staircase to probably sulk in his room. Annastazia, however, made her way to the drawing room. It would probably be empty since Aunt Narcissa went to buy new robes in Paris with Lady Greengrass for the afternoon. Annastazia could probably read a book about potions.

Annastazia loved potions. She loved how you'd have to follow precise instructions to get it right and how half a hour of simmering can produce many life saving medicines.

When she got to the drawing room, she found that it was already occupied.

"Oh, Annastazia, your back. Before I forget to tell you, we are having the Minister and Mr Crouch over for dinner tomorrow." Her Uncle Lucius said.

Uncle Lucius was probably sorting out the Malfoy Family businesses and accounts because he was not at the Ministry.

"Of course, Uncle Lucius." Annastazia nodded politely.

She would always agree with her Uncle Lucius and tell him that she'd be honoured to attend dinner with the Minister, but in her brain she wanted to scream and shout that she didn't actually like the Minister.

Another dinner with the Minister would kill her.

The Minister was nice, but liked to act like he was her Uncle or Father or something. Every time a boy, for example: Blaise Zabini, would come near her, the Minister would shoo him away and tell him that they were just going to get food and they didn't have time to chat.

He also liked to dish food onto her plate for her and ask whether or not she was going to work at the ministry when she was older, all the time.

Every time he said that, Uncle Lucius would give her a look that clearly meant 'You are never going to work a day in your life. You will be married into a Noble and Ancient house and be a good pure blood wife and give birth to a new, noble generation of Blacks'

However, Annastazia actually like Mr Crouch.

He made social occasions and annual balls bearable.

He'd even given her a guided tour of the Ministry once, something that Uncle Lucius frowned upon.

Mr Crouch was also good friends with Mr Bagman, who she found great fun.

Last October, Annastazia was invited round Mr Crouch's house for dinner and found out he also invited Mr Bagman.

She didn't like him at first, but when he offered her a glass of elf made wine, Annastazia started to warm up to him.

Annastazia didn't actually drink the wine though, Mr Crouch took it off her because she was 'too young to be consuming a dangerous substance like alcohol.'

"Is Mr Bagman coming as well?" Annastazia asked, as Uncle Lucius lifted his eyes from the parchment to look at her.

"Would you like him to come?" Uncle Lucius asked.

Annastazia nodded her head vigorously.

"Very well then. I will invite Mr Bagman." Uncle Lucius said.

Annastazia was just going to thank him when her Uncle said something else.

"I think I'll drop you and Draco of at Diagon Alley tomorrow. We can buy your Hogwarts things and some more books, if you'd like ." Uncle Lucius added.

Annastazia smiled slightly.

"Dinner will be served in a three hours so make sure your there." Uncle Lucius stated.

Knowing that Uncle Lucius probably wanted space when doing his work, Annastazia quickly left the room and started to climb the grand staircase to her room. On the wall there were portraits of the deceased Malfoy family members which used to give Annastazia nightmares as a very young child and still drove shivers up her spine. Annastazia had to climb three flights of stairs before she reached the top floor, which was her's and Draco's. As she walked passed Draco's room, she resisted the urge of barging into his room and telling him to stop being a spoiled brat. Continuing along the corridor, she reached a door that had Annastazia elegantly painted on it in emerald. She pushed the door open and walked in.

Annastazia room was filled with expensive robes, jewellery and furniture. Her curtains alone were the cost of half a years working wizard's annual pay. She opened the drapes around the double four poster bed and sighed.

Whilst most wizarding children would be exited to go to Hogwarts, Annastazia was scared to. What if she was sorted into Gryffindor? The thought chilled her to the bone. She would be declared a blood traitor and probably would never be able to talk to her family again.

Speaking of family...

She hadn't noticed her nanny elf dusting her book shelves so nearly had a heart attack when she spotted him.

"Dobby!" She gasped.

Dobby had practically raised her since she was a year old, so Dobby was her favourite house elf out of all the elves serving the Malfoy family.

"Dobby is sorry to have bothered Miss Black! Dobby shall punish himself..." Squeaked Dobby.

Annastazia watched in horror as Dobby lifted a heavy book of the shelf and went to whack himself with it.

Quickly, Annastazia snatched the book out of Dobby's hands and threw it on her bed.

"Dobby! What are you doing?" Annastazia hissed.

It was a stupid question. Annastazia of course knew exactly what the elf was doing but couldn't think why he'd do it at that moment.

"Dobby bothered Miss Black! Dobby should be punished!" Dobby cried.

Without warning, Dobby took off towards the bed to reach the book. Annastazia had no choice but to physically stop him. She grabbed him by the waist and picked him up. She could feel his ribs and Annastazia knew he was barely being fed.

"Dobby, why don't you go down to the kitchens and help yourself to some food." Annastazia shouted over the wailing and crying that was coming from the elf.

"Miss Black is too kind to Dobby!" Dobby sobbed and left the room with a pop.

Before Annastazia could process what had just happened, she found her self looking at the book on her bed.

'The Complete Book of Spells'

Curious, Annastazia opened the book to a random page.

VULNERA SANENTUR

Used to heal injuries ranging from minor cuts to deep gashes. When repeated three times in a row it has maximum effect.

Impressed, Annastazia flicked to another page in the book.

PROTEGO HORRIBILIS

Provides some form of protection against dark magic.

Raising an eyebrow, Annastazia would have to remember this one because she was always surrounded by former death eaters.

Annastazia flicked through the book and soon got lost in it's pages.

PISCIFORS

Transfigures an enemy into a fish.

Annastazia laughed. She could imagine Draco as a fish.

PERICULUM

Allows caster to send out red sparks from their

ORCHIDEOUS

Makes a bouquet of flowers appear out of the casters wand

She got half way through the book when she realised it was nearly time for Dinner.

As she went down the stairs and into the dining room, she had one thought only lingering in the back of her head.

Annastazia was going to turn Draco into a fish.

 **Edit: This chapter was removed and edited**

 _ **Love it? Hate it? Review it!**_

 _ **TIGER WITHOUT STRIPES**_


	3. Diagon-Alley

**Surprise?!**

 **Chapter Four: Diagon Alley**

"I think emerald looks better than plum, don't you think, cousin?" Annastazia asked searching through a rack of expensive ball gowns.

"For Merlin's sake... How am I supposed to know?" Draco said, sitting down on a chair and picking his finger nails absentmindedly.

"Actually, I like this lavender one! It's positively gorgeous!"

"Annastazia, stop being such a plonker! Just choose a dress! I've already chose my dress robes.""

"I think I'll try this one on..." Annastazia stated, lifting up a dress.

Annastazia knew Draco loathed going shopping with her, but she couldn't care less. They'd been in the shop for the last hour, and Draco had already complained about fifty times that his feet were hurting.

"Draco, when I come out, you need to offer me some feedback. Alright?" Asked Annastazia, gently draping the dress over her arm.

"Yes. Now hurry up! I want to see how much the Nimbus 2000 costs!"

Typical Draco! All he ever cared about was quidditch!

When Annastazia put the dress on, she was surprised by how lovely it was. It was an hourglass shape, and had a dark purple ribbon wrapped her waist that formed a massive bow on the bottom of her back.

"What do you think?" Asked Annastazia, stepping out from behind the changing room's curtains.

"It looks good. Let's go!" He said, not even looking at her.

"I can, you can't. You haven't even been measured up for your school uniform yet!" Annastazia said.

Draco sighed in frustration.

When Annastazia was done getting dressed back into her every day robes, she picked up her bags-that held her school uniform-and gave the dress to the seamstress.

"I've decided to have this one. Please adjust the dress to my measurements and have the dress delivered to Malfoy Manor in no more than a fortnight." Said Annastazia, dumping a handful of Galleons on the counter.

"That can be arranged, Miss Black." Answered the seamstress and walked off to presumably measure Draco.

Annastazia waved to Draco, who scowled a response, and then she turned to leave. Annastazia opened the door, but instead of confidently walking out, she was knocked to the floor. Her bags full of all her school equipment fell to the floor and Annastazia did too.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!"

Annastazia quickly stood up.

There was a boy-about her age-who looked like he was dressed in over sized rags. His hair was so messy it looked like he didn't even bother to comb it and his muggle glasses were broken. He looked embarrassed, his cheeks had turned a shade of pink as he hurriedly stuffed Annastazia's belongings back into her shopping bags. Disdainfully, Annastazia looked down her nose at him. He was probably muggle... Or worse, he might be a mud-blood... She shuddered. What would Uncle Lucius say?

Annastazia was quickly shaken from her thoughts when the boy stood up, holding her shopping bags out to her.

"Umm... here you go, Miss." He mumbled, his eyes in a fixed position staring down at his shoes.

"Thank you." She whispered, utterly fixated by him for some weird reason.

She supposed he had gained confidence, because he raised his eyes to meet her own. Annastazia was nearly blinded by the dazzling shade of emerald.

They held eye contact for about a minute-or perhaps longer, Annastazia wasn't keeping count-until Annastazia's eyes reluctantly left his, her cheeks going a mild pink.

"See you at school." Annastazia said, taking her shopping bags from him.

"Perhaps." He said,

"Perhaps." She repeated.

The mystery boy awkwardly nodded his head at her and shuffled past her to the seamstress.

Annastazia left the shop in a daze. She vaguely remembered traipsing over to Ollivander's. She was confused about the encounter, so put the mystery boy out of her mind-for now.

Slowly, Annastazia opened the door and entered the dusty shop.

For a highly praised shop, Annastazia thought it was weird that Ollivander only had one display item. Just one wand.

"Can I help you?"

Annastazia nearly jumped out of her skin, Ollivander was giving her a confused look from where he know stood behind the counter.

"Yes, yes you can. I'm in need of a wand." Said Annastazia.

What was wrong with her today?

"Alright then."

Ollivander wandered over to where she was standing.

"What hand do you hold your wand in?" He asked.

"Right." She answered automatically.

Ollivander pulled out his tape measure and measured her left arm. After a lot of 'Umm-ing' and 'ahh-ing', he walked off round the back of the shop.

"Here we go."

And so the excruciating and tiring task of choosing a wand began. Or-as Ollivander continuously reminded her- the wand choosing an owner. When she tested out the wands that obviously didn't suit her, flowers and sometimes fire (to Ollivander's dismay) burst out of the wand. Annastazia was growing tired, and she was sure she had tried out at least twenty wands, but none of them chose her. Annastazia started to get worried. She definitely wasn't a squib, she knew that for sure, so why was it taking so long?

As Annastazia was about to proclaim she was going to leave and find a wand somewhere else, Ollivander walked towards her, and placed a strange looking wand into her hands.

It was coloured a chalky white and had specks of what looked like glowing red embers on the surface. Annastazia thought it could easily be passed as wood on a log fire.

"Aspen wood. Phoenix feather core. 13 inches. Unbending Flexibility." The wand maker whispered.

Annastazia held it out as if to cast a spell, and immediately felt a warning glow around her. It started from her wand hand and went down to her tips of her toes.

Ollivander looked at her with a curious expression.

"You are perhaps destined for the same fate of your predecessor." Ollivander said, taking her wand from her and carefully placing it in the box. "You will try and run from the darkness inside you. You will try very hard. But it will conquer in the end."

Annastazia looked at Ollivander in astonishment.

"You are destined for dark things, Miss Black. Dark things." He continued. "But it seems you will raise you family from the ashes, and take it into it's golden age."

"Could you tell that all from my wand?" Asked Annastazia in wonder.

"It's clear to those like me who have studied wand lore, that the wand chooses the wizard. Or in your case, witch." Said Ollivander ominously.

Ollivander seemed to stare out into space for a few moments.

"That will be eleven Galleons."

Shortly after, Annastazia and Draco arrived in the Clabbert Cafe. The Clabbert Cafe was a high end, purely pure-blood cafe. The Cafe was run by a distant relative of Theodore Nott's, who some how managed to to add a clause to the highly disputed Muggle-Born Protection Act that stated that he was allowed to decapitate any who entered his cafe who did not have pure blood running through their veins.

"What in Merlins name..." Said Draco, licking his ice cream.

"I know. It was almost like he was a seer or something..." Replied Annastazia.

She had just told Draco about her weird encounter with Ollivander.

"'You will try and run from the darkness inside you.' What on earth could that mean?" Asked Draco.

"Maybe I'll marry a mud-blood." Annastazia chuckled.

"Don't joke about that, Annastazia."

They entered into a comfortable silence, in which Annastazia concentrated all her brain power into trying to guess what the cook changed in the blueberry ice cream recipe since the last time they ate here.

"Draco, I think they added cinnamon to the.."

Annastazia suddenly stopped. 'The same fate of your predecessor'... The phrase haunted her. The Black Family was a big family. Most died of mysterious circumstances, many died of illness, some were condemned to a life in Azkaban and hardly any lived out their full expected life span. But, if Ollivander meant her Father...

Annastazia often felt the tiniest bit sorry for her Father. She loathed her Father, she really did but her heart ached to know that he was being continuously subjected to soul-sucking nature of the dementors. However, when she felt those feelings, she'd remind herself that he left her Grandmother to wallow in grief. He caused her death. He deserved to rot in Azkaban.

"They added cinnamon to what, Annastazia?" Draco asked, looking at her in bewilderment.

"To the blueberry ice cream." Annastazia whispered.

"Merlin, Annastazia! Your obsessed with blueberries! Blueberry this, blueberry that. Blueberry shampoo, blueberry ice cream, blueberry coloured robes and-let's not forget- blueberry perfume! I mean, I didn't even know you could get blueberry perfume!" Draco ranted.

"There's even blueberry pie on the special's menu today, if the lady desires it." Said a male voice from nearby.

Turning around, Annastazia was met with the sight of the owner of the Clabbert Cafe's

son. Thelonious Nott, who according to Witch Weekly, the most eligible pure-blood bachelor. He was only in his fourth year at Hogwarts, but the supply of pure-blooded men was running low, so of course a fourteen year old was going to get the most eligible bachelor. But, with not many make pure-blooded wizards up for grabs, witches had to fight tooth and nail against the other witches in a battle of etiquette, blood lines and attractiveness to try and secure a husband and produce a heir to carry on their noble blood lines.

"Thelonious." Annastazia greeted, bowing her head in his direction as Thelonious sat down.

"How lovely of you to grace my presence, Miss Black." Thelonious said, taking her hand and brushing his lips over her knuckles.

Annastazia blushed. Draco merely scoffed.

"Stop playing games, Thel. She doesn't want that. Go away. She shan't be having any blueberry pie, either. It seems positively disgusting." Draco hissed.

Thelonious raised an eyebrow at Draco and then turned to Annastazia.

"Your cousin seems awfully aggressive today, doesn't he? Why don't you have a small piece of pie? I promise you, you will not be disappointed." Thelonious Said.

Annastazia was going to answer when Draco interrupted her.

"No! Annastazia can't have a pie! Because... because... because she'll get fat!" Draco stuttered.

"Fat?"

"Yes! She has to fit into her uniform! Annastazia can't be packing on the pounds now!" Draco cried.

"How dare you! I can eat what I want! Merlin, Draco! What's got in to you today?" Annastazia fumed, embarrassed at being shown up by Draco.

Thelonious stood up.

"I better get going. I'll leave you to your family quarrel. Will I be seeing you at school, Annastazia?"

"Yes. If I can fit in my uniform." She hissed, taking a glance a Draco from the corner of her eye.

"Good bye, Miss Black." Thelonious said, and-in a bold move-kissed her on the cheek.

Half an hour later, and they had arrived in the Magical Menagerie. Outside the shops, cages are crammed and tightly packed together as lots of pets cawed and meowed.

"Annastazia, I don't want to go in there. It smells like crap." Draco growled.

"Oh well, you'll feel right at home then." Annastazia replied, with a smirk on her face.

Annastazia grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the shop. It was very cramped and noisy with every inch of wall covered by cages. It looked like it sells all types of animals- poisonous orange snails, a giant jewel-encrusted tortoise, sleek black rays that seemed to be doing some type of tango, owls, ravens, cats of every colour, puffskeins, a transforming rabbit and lots more.

It was busy, very busy and Annastazia and Draco had to push there way pass everybody to get to the desk.

"Hello, my Uncle Lucius did send you letter beforehand to reserve a litter of cat-kneazle cross-breads that I could pick my kitten from." Annastazia said.

"Oh, yes. Miss Black, I presume?"

Annastazia nodded.

"LIAM! Miss Black is here!" The sales-woman yelled.

After nobody answered, the woman called again.

"LIAM!"

"Alrigh', alrigh', I'm 'ere now, aren' I?" A boy with acne plastered on his face emerged from the back room.

He didn't look much older than Annastazia and Draco. He was lanky and weed like, and it seemed like he couldn't be bothered to be there.

"Liam, show Miss Black the half-kneazle kittens." The woman said, tiredly.

"Ok, ok. Come on, I ain' got all day..." The boy mumbled.

"Charming..." Draco muttered.

He showed Annastazia and Draco into the back room.

"In tha' box. I'll be back in a momen'"

But before he left, he looked at Draco, who was pinching his nose in disgust.

"I know. Smells proper shit, don' it?" Liam said.

Liam left and Annastazia and Draco walked over to inspect the box.

There were four kittens in there. Three were ginger, one was black. They were all very fury, but there was something about the black kitten that Annastazia was drawn to.

Annastazia picked the black cat up, and noticed that it's eyes were a pale purple.

"Draco, this is the one." Annastazia said.

"Very well. Can we go now?"

"Soon. Can you fetch me that woven cat basket, please?"

Annastazia took the basket and the kitten and paid for them.

"So, what are you going to call it?" Draco asked.

Annastazia took a moment to look at the kitten. It was a she. She was delicate, so she wanted to name her after a flower. Her eyes were a light purple so maybe...

"Wisteria." Annastazia said, looking lovingly at the kitten through the metal bars.

"'Wisteria?' Have you gone barmy? You absolute plonker! 'Wisteria.'" Draco wheezed, shaking his head.

"Yes, Wisteria. As in the climbing plant. You may laugh now, but you'll see. It's the perfect name..."

"Fine. But if she rips down mothers curtains, I am not being being held accountable."

They chuckled, giggled and laughed all the way back to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Let's get going. Mother will have kneazle kittens if we're not back soon."

When they got back via floo, Aunt Narcissa was already stressing.

"Annastazia, I asked the elf to clean your blue summer dress so that should be fine for you to wear."

Annastazia rushed up the grand staircase, with her shopping bags and cat basket, past the portrait of Armand Malfoy and was just about to enter her room when she spotted a figure moving up the driveway from the the large window in the East Wing's upstairs corridor.

"What?" She mumbled quietly.

It was eerie. The figure was cloaked and had some sort of dark aura that surrounded it. Intrigued, Annastazia tore her eyes away from the figure so she could open the window and get a better look. She carefully lowered Wisteria's basket onto the floor. Leaning out of the window, Annastazia realised the figure was gliding, not walking. Annastazia was starting to get scared, but realised that the figure would come into contact with the wards any second now.

So she waited. And waited. And waited. Tired of waiting, Annastazia let out a frustrated sigh. The figure must of heard her because it raised its cloaked head up towards her. Annastazia slowly backed away from the window, just as the figure came in contact with the Manor's protective wards. The wards fizzled, cracked, set the figure on the fire and then threw it outside's the wards perimeter.

Annastazia smirked, but then saw Uncle Lucius come out of the Manor's grand wooden entrance with a group of three crups, obviously thinking that muggles had breached the wards.

Uncle Lucius brought the crups a couple of years ago off a breeder that he'd met at Lord Nott's birthday celebration. Crups were nasty creatures usually, but Annastazia had fallen in love with the wizard-created dogs. Annastazia had called the girl Amortentia, and the two boys Veritiaserum and Mandrake. She'd named them after items she'd found in the book 'The Most Dangerous Potions, Poisons and Plants.' The crup is intensely loyal to wizards and ferocious towards muggles. They are great scavengers and they eat anything from gnomes to old tyres.

Anyway, Uncle Lucius ventured out onto the driveway, his blond hair flying all over place. His face was set in a weird type of mix of enthusiasm and disgust. But when his eyes finally settled on the figure, he backed away his eyes widening and his hand reaching into his wand-holster for his Elm wand. He drew his wand, but kept backing away in a defensive stance. Uncle Lucius whistled to the dogs and rushed back inside the Manor.

Strange. He ran away. The figure definitely wasn't a muggle, otherwise Uncle Lucius would have brought the muggle inside the manor and made Annastazia and Draco watch as he'd relentlessly Crucio them until their throats couldn't scream no longer and Uncle Lucius deemed them no longer fun to play with. Then he'd cut cut there throats with the cutting curse: Diffindo.

Uncle Lucius had many redeeming qualities, but social skills with muggles were not one.

Annastazia slowly closed the window and then made her way to her bedroom.

That was two strange people she'd seen today. That other boy... It was very strange. It was like she knew him. She felt a strong sense of familiarity between the boy and her and yet before that day she'd never seen him before.

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she picked up the cat basket carried on the corridor to the East wing, climbed the stairs the top floor, opened her bedroom door and flopped on her bed.

By the time Annastazia had got back the will to live and had gotten ready, it was time for the dinner party.

Annastazia seated herself at the table (Draco would sit on her right, Minister Fudge would sit on her left) when Uncle Lucius came rushing into the room, fiddling with his cuff links that bore the Malfoy crest.

"I forgot to tell you. The Parkinsons are coming too."

And then he left.

Annastazia felt like face palming. Uncle Lucius didn't 'forget', he deliberately chose to withhold information so Annastazia wouldn't be able to convince Uncle Lucius to not invite the Parkinsons.

Draco burst in the room, looking ridiculous with his hair gelled back.

He sat down in his allocated space and checked the clock on the mantelpiece.

"15 minutes. I'm actually quite exited."

Annastazia snorted in a very unladylike way.

"The Parkinsons are coming."

Draco banged his head on the table.

"Draco! Sit up straight!" Aunt Narcissa hissed, as she sat down opposite Draco.

Uncle Lucius would sit at the head of the table.

Aunt Narcissa was wearing her high collared emerald dress and had her hair up in a tight bun, just like Annastazia.

The heavy knocker on the door sounded and Uncle Lucius bustled in the room. He looked directly at Annastazia.

"Behave."

Annastazia bristled. What did he expect that she was going to do? Smash a glass over Pansy's head? Slap her and leave a bruise? No. It was Aunt Narcissa you have to look out for. Ever since Lady Parkinson had covered her in chocolate gateau, Aunt Narcissa has been out for blood.

"Ah! Perseus! Dahlia! How nice to see you again! And Pansy! Draco's been dying to see you."

She looked over to her right to see Draco's horrified expression.

The Parkinsons entered, they sat down and then the small talk started. At first it was about how their day went, then about how much money they earned over the last month through investments, and then about what they were having for dinner. That was only the husbands though, the wives were glaring at each other vehemently, gripping there wine glasses like their life depended on it and the children... they were just staring at each other awkwardly.

Finally, the Ministry officials arrived, bringing more alcohol. Minister Fudge was delighted that he was placed next to Annastazia.

"Good to see you, Perseus. Old buddy, old pal." Greeted Mr Bagman.

"Can't say the same to you, Ludovic. I'm positively disgusted that my eyes have to gaze upon your unsightly face once again." Mr Parkinson said, his smile laced with a sickly sweetness that was identical to Pansy's.

The starters were brought out and they all ate in silence until Draco broke it.

"Today, we met Thelonious Nott in his Father's Cafe and guess what he did? Guess!" Draco asked excitedly.

When nobody answered, Draco continued.

"He kissed her! He kissed Annastazia on the cheek!"

Uncle Lucius laughed, and everybody joined in. Everybody except the Parkinsons.

"Do I smell a betrothal contract?"

"What makes you think my Pansy hasn't caught the young man's eye?" Asked Lord Parkinson, looking critically at Uncle Lucius, daring him to say something wrong.

Uncle Lucius was about to reply, when Aunt Narcissa-who was on her third glass of wine-decided this was a opportune moment to insult the Parkinsons.

"Well, your Pansy will probably be lucky to get married to a pig with a nose like hers!"

"Look at your Annastazia's cheek bones! If they were any higher they'd be up in the sky!" Lady Parkinson hissed back.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't high cheek bones a sign of aristocratic wealth?" The Minister asked, quickly coming to her defence.

"Yes they are, but I don't think that" Said Mr Crouch, weakly pointing to Pansy's nose. "is."

"Once you've finished insulting my daughter-" Started Lady Parkinson.

"Look, lady, we can't help it if your daughter's ugliness is worse than someone with spattergroit!" Chuckled Mr Bagman, taking a sip out of a half-empty fire-whiskey bottle.

"Alright, alright. Ludo, I think you need to calm down." Said Uncle Lucius.

"What? I was only telling the truth!"

Everybody looked at him in disbelief. Minister Fudge tried to snatch the bottle of fire whiskey out of his hands but Mr Bagman slapped his hand away. Draco snorted but Annastazia looked at the scene in a horrified state.

The room settled into an uncomfortable silence, which was broken by Minister Fudge.

"Oh, yes, Lucius. I just wanted to give you a heads up, Andromeda Tonks has filed for guardianship of Annastazia." Minister Fudge said.

Uncle Lucius spat out his wine.

"What?!"

Lady Parkinson began to giggle not even trying to hide it and of course, Pansy joined in.

"Isn't Andromeda that blood-traitor?" Annastazia said, an appalled expression in her face.

"Yes, she's your older sister isn't she, Narcissa. Didn't she marry a mud-blood? Have a half-blood child? Get disowned? Get cast off the family tree?" Lady Parkinson smirked.

"You always get a bad potato in a bag of much better ones." Said Mr Bagman.

"Are you calling me a potato?"

"No! No, of course not!"

"Anyway, we've raised Annastazia since she was one. Surely that counts for something?" Uncle Lucius said.

"Don't shoot the messenger, Lucius, but I think she has a good chance of getting visitation rights." Mr Crouch stated.

"Visitation... Visitation rights? We're not bloody divorced!" Uncle Lucius shouted.

"Someone's on their time of the month!"

"Shut up, Ludovic!"

"But this is utterly preposterous! I've never heard of a notion that insane!" Lucius spluttered.

"I think it's wonderful!" Pansy said.

"Wonderful? How can this situation be wonderful?" Annastazia asked in astonishment.

"Because, all you need is your Father, and then you can be a little blood-traitor family!" Pansy cried.

"Why you little-" Annastazia hissed, standing up.

"Don't rise to her bait, Annastazia." Draco said, so she sat back down.

"Your daughter's a proper bitch, isn't she Perseus!" Mr Bagman chuckled.

"And I think your full of shit, Ludo!" Lord Parkinson growled.

"Excuse me, there are children at the table!" Minister Fudge cried, looking at everybody with a stern expression.

"Merlin..." Mr Crouch whispered. "I'm definitely not coming here again..."

The table was quiet until after the mains and puddings were served and eaten.

"Well, we can't be late back, I have to be at Wizengamot early tomorrow morning." Said Lord Parkinson.

"It was a really... lovely meal." Lady Parkinson said, smirking.

"I'm still waiting on that letter concerning... you know what."

"It will come soon."

"I'll see you at high-tea tomorrow, Cissy." Said Lady Parkinson, with a smug look on her face.

Aunt Narcissa just took another sip of white wine.

Pansy came over to Draco and gave him a 'goodbye' kiss on the cheek.

Soon after the ministry officials left.

Annastazia was glad it was over, but then realised she'd have to do it all again soon.

 **Edit: I will be doing the Journey to Platform Nine and Three Quarters next, not the Summer Ball because it was to hard to write and I still had nothing after three months. Edited to to fix over editing of fonts and the inclusion of the Summer ball.**

 **Sorry for the late update. Every sentence to write was agony. I've rewritten this chapter about six times, and I finally have a chapter I can at least be half-happy with. Ive already got a quarter of the next chapter done, so that should be published soon. Next chapter, the Malfoy Summer Ball.**

 **For anyone who doesn't live in Britain, 'plonker' means idiot.**

 **Tiger without stripes**

 **Love it? Hate it? Review it!**


	4. The Hogwart’s Express

**Guess who's back, back again.**

"Don't forget to write, darlings. We'll miss you both terribly! Won't we, Lucius?" Narcissa asked as she kissed both Draco and Annastazia on the cheek.

"Pardon? Oh yes, terribly!" Said Lucius, picking his fingernails.

"Promise you'll write? Oh, the Manor will be so quiet without my little munchkins running around!" Cried Narcissa, dabbing her eyes gently with her handkerchief.

"Narcissa! They're not dead! Besides they'll be back at Christmas!" Lucius said, trying to comfort his wife but failing miserably,

"Christmas? But it will be getting cold by Christmas! Who will be there to fasten Annastazia's coat or tie up Draco's school shoe laces?" Narcissa said quietly, patting Draco affectionately on the head.

"We will be fine, Aunt Narcissa. I can do up my own coat and Draco is old enough to do up his own laces." Annastazia stated, momentarily looking at Draco from out of the corner of her eye and then looking at Narcissa with a sad look in her eyes.

"Yes, we know we will be awfully missed, but do you know what, mother? I will make sure to send you monstrously big letters every day." Draco said, looking into the distance with a smug expression on his face. He was proud he was going to Hogwarts; Annastazia could see it as clear as day on his face.

"Yes, well enough of this chitchat. I hate children and this platform is brimming with them." Lucius spat, throwing Draco and Annastazia's trunks carelessly into the train.

Annastazia gripped Wisteria's cage as the cat hissed at the people going passed.

"You hate children, Uncle Lucius?"

"Well, children in general. Obviously, you two are an exception. Now, go on. Get on the train before Narcissa has a breakdown."

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

Annastazia kissed her Uncle Lucius on the cheek and gave one last hug to her tearful Aunt, and ran off to climb on the train with Draco.

"We better find a carriage, before they all run out!" Draco shouted, dragging her by the wrist and pulling her towards the train.

Annastazia clambered on the train with Draco, and then tried to find the carriage with the other aristocratic children.They found it quickly.Blaise was relaxing on the seat, sprawled out and eating a pumpkin pasty. Daphne was twirling the end of her French braid around her finger and Tracy was tapping her foot nervously one the ground. Theodore was trying to write 'Theo was here' on the window with a quill as Millicent told him the scary story about what happens when her cousin was put in Hufflepuff.

"Where's Pansy?" Annastazia asked, surprised that the sickly sweet young heiress wasn't in the carriage gossiping.

"Gone somewhere with Crabbe and Goyle." Blaise answered, bored.

"What's she doing with Crabbe and Goyle?" Asked Draco, handing Annastazia her sachel with her school robes, money and books in.

"Don't ask me. She looked pretty evil when she went out though. Something about, uhhhh... McKinnon's dismembered organs, or something?" Blaise said, shrugging.

"McKinnon? You're sure she said McKinnon?" Annastazia asked offhandedly.

"Yeah. What's it to you?" Blaise said, looking up in confusion.

"Her mother was a McKinnon, you idiot!" Draco hissed at him whilst he sat down next to Tracy.

"Oh yeah, sorry Annastazia." Blaise said, sounding totally unapologetic.

Annastazia sighed and pulled Wisteria out of her cage.

"No! No you don't! Stop right there! Put that monster away!" Draco cried standing up on his seat.

Annastazia wouldn't call Wisteria a monster... She just didn't like people, whatsoever. She only really liked Annastazia, and that's only because she fed her.

"That cat bit father last week! It should be killed!"

"Don't be silly, Draco!" Tracy whispered calmly, holding out her hand for Wisteria to smell.

"Oh no! I wouldn't do that if I were you, Trace!" Millicent said. "Draco said it was a monster!"

"Nonsense!" Tracy said, patting Wisteria on the head.

Wisteria hissed and went to bite Tracy. Tracy retracted her hand quickly.

"Oh Tracy! Do be serious, will you! It's fine!" Annastazia said, scratching Wisteria behind the ears.

"Serious? Like your father?" Blaise sneered.

"Oh my Merlin. Why do I every time I say that word, you lot get so offended?" Annastazia asked, confused.

"Try as we may to forget, Annastazia, your father and mother, were blood-traitors. Which technically makes you a blood-traitor." Said Millicent, matter a factly.

"Well, why are you friends then?" Annastazia asked, annoyed.

"Obviously because our fathers told us to"

She could not tell if Blaise was joking or not, and to be honest, she didn't care.

"Right, I'm going. I can't take this today."

"Oh, don't be an idiot Annastazia! Where will you sit!"

"With some mud-bloods probably!"

"You don't mean that!"

"Don't I?"

"No. No you do no-"

Annastazia slammed the compartment door closed before Draco could finish his sentence, and stormed off down the corridor with her satchel and Wisteria to find another carriage.

On her way, she passed two bright red haired twins, who were being silly and laughing about how 'their little Ronnie was growing up'. She stared at one of them with a scowl, he noticed, turned around and winked at her. "Turn that frown, upside down!" Annastazia pushed passed them and shook her head.

She found a carriage

, and without thinking went in. Violently she opened the door and went in, ignoring the other people in there.

Annastazia pulled a book titled 'The art of being a Slytherin.' our of her bag.

There were two boys in the carriage. One was tall, thin and gangly, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose. The most striking feature of him, however, was his bright red hair. The second boy was a scrawny, black-haired bespectacled boy who looked a bit on the skinny side for his age. He had untidy hair, she noticed, and his clothes looked like they had just been ran over by a stampede of hippogriffs. The boy also had startling green eyes. They were blatantly staring at her. She thought that was terribly rude so looked up and narrowed her eyes at them.

"Do you mind?" Annastazia asked, coldly.

They didn't say anything.

"Well, don't let me interrupt this truly riveting conversation." Annastazia said sarcastically.

They both continued to stare. Annastazia narrowed her eyes at the black-haired boy and he narrowed them back. Why did this boy seem familiar?

"Maybe you'd like to talk to us?" The black-haired boy asked timidly.

The gangly boy shook is head violently but the other boy just quirked an eye brow at him.

"I'm Annastazia Black. I've got a middle name, but your strangers and probably homeless so I don't trust you to keep it a secret. Yet. I'm the sole heiress of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. I'm also an heiress to the McKinnon fortune." Annastazia said, patronisingly. This was how all pure-bloods introduced themselves, they made themselves seem superior to those they were introducing themselves to.

"Errrr, well okay then. You sound a bit rich, don't you?" Asked the red haired boy.

"A 'bit' rich? I'm one of the richest people in magical Britain." Annastazia answered, snootily.

"Wait... Did you say Black?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Are you in one of those old families then?" The other, less stupid boy asked.

"Old? My family is probably the oldest."

"Oh."

"Oh."

"'Oh.' This conversation is frightfully boring."

"Bloody hell! "Frightfully'. You are posh, aren't you?" The red haired boy said, mimicking her voice.

Annastazia ignored him.

"So, what are you're names? Or are you just called gormless idiot one and gormless idiot two?" Annastazia asked.

"Your really rude, do you know that? Anyway, I'm Ron Weasley." Said Ron.

"Well, I can't say it's a delight to see you, but..." Annastazia said, she held her hand out obviously expecting him to kiss it but he took her hand a roughly shook it.

Annastazia gave him a scathing look and turned to the other boy.

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter. I think we met before... At Madame Malkin's?" The boy (now identified as Harry) said.

"Yes. I think we did." Annastazia answered. Well, that was one mystery solved.

They slipped into an uncomfortable and quite awkward silence.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out.

Harry nodded.

"Oh -well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got — you know..."

"Who's Fred and George?" Annastazia interrupted.

"My twin brothers. Best pranksters Hogwarts has ever seen probably." He answered, shrugging then turning back to Harry.

He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his fringe to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who-"

"You mean the dark lord." Interrupted Annastazia again.

"Who cares what we call him? Just as long as it's not... it's not the V-word!" Ron said, irritated.

"What's the V-word, vagina?" Annastazia asked sarcastically.

Ron stuttered 'no' and Harry's cheeks started to blush.

"Wh...Wh...What matters is, is that where you-know-who-"

"The dark lord."

"Your a pest, did you know that? Is that where you-know-who did...it?"

"Yes," said Harry, "but I can't remember it."

"Nothing?" said Ron eagerly.

"Well — I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."

"That would be the Avada Kedavra." Annastazia interrupted yet again.

"The what-what?" Ron asked, looking at her with confusion. Harry also looked befuddled.

"The Avada Kedavra. The Killing Curse. It's recognisable by the flash of green light and the rushing noise emitted from the caster's wand. When the curse hits a living, organic target it invariably kills them without injury. The mechanism by which it kills is currently unknown." Annastazia stated off the top of her head.

"How did you know that?" Asked Harry, looking at her in amazement.

"I've had pure-blood classes since I could speak. With special emphasis on dark curses." Annastazia boasted.

"Wow," said Ron to Annastazia. He sat and then stared at Harry for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.

"Are all your family wizards?" asked Harry, who looked at both Ron and Annastazia.

"Er — Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

"Yes. My whole family tree is. Well, except from a few...abnormal cases, but we Blacks trim those branches off quick enough." Annastazia answered.

"Hang on a minute, aren't you the product of two so called blood-traitors?" Ronald asked.

"Ho-How did you know about that?" Annastazia asked, going paler than normal.

"Daily Prophet. (That's a news paper, Harry.) Your in it all the time." Ronald answered.

"Oh..."

Annastazia was worried. These boys sounded nice, and if any of them knew about her father, then they'd probably get scared and run away.

"Not so uppity now, are you?"

"Was I uppity?" Annastazia asked weekly.

"Bloody hell, yes! Goodness me, tone the snobbiness down will you?" Ron said, exasperated.

"Alright." Annastazia whispered.

"So you must know loads of magic already." Harry interrupted, breaking up the impending awkwardness.

"I know the theory behind it. I've only tried a couple of them in real life though." Annastazia answered.

"Oh."

"Never fear, Harry, just read your books and you'll be fine!" Annastazia answered, smiling softly st him.

"Reading? Reading books is for losers!" Ron said.

They settled into another silence, although this one was mildly more comfortable.

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"

"Probably ghastly. My Uncle Lu... My uncle said to me that their ghastly. They tie us to stakes and burn us!" Annastazia said, ominously.

"Maybe in the olden days, but I don't think that they do that now. Otherwise my dad would've heard about it. Anyway, carry on Harry." Ron answered

"Horrible -well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."

"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left — Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.

"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff — I mean, I got Scabbers instead."

Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.

"You couldn't afford it? Was that what you were going to say?" Annastazia asked.

"Just because you have money, doesn't mean the rest of us do, Miss pompous pants." Ron practically shouted.

Annastazia frowned and went quiet.

Evidently, Harry didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl. He told Ron and Annastazia about having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron up.

"... and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about be ing a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort"

Ron gasped. Annastazia did too.

"What?" said Harry.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people — "

"Why did you do that that's practically illegal!"

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, saying the name," said Harry, I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn... I bet," he added. "I bet I'm the worst in the class."

"You won't be. There's loads of people who come from Muggle families and they learn quick enough." Ron said.

"Yes. Ron is right. And plus, we've got Crabbe and Goyle in our year so you won't finish last." Annastazia answered. Harry and Ronald were probably wondering who Crabbe and Goyle were.

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Annastazia, who was badly in need of some chocolate, leapt to his feet, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiches. Harry went out to go into the corridor, but Annastazia waved him down.

Annastazia went out into the corridor and paid the candy lady for a bit of everything.

She took the sweets into the compartment and laid everything out.

"Go on! Have some! As a reward for your kindness!" Annastazia beamed.

"Nah, it's fine. I've got sandwiches."

"Oh, well they look nice. I'll swap you one for one of these." Said Harry, picking up a pumpkin pasty.

"Are you a mud...muggle-born, Harry?" Annastazia asked, intrigued.

"No. I think my parents were magical, well at least that's what I've been told."

"Oh."

"What are these?" Harry asked Ron, holding up a pack of Chocolate Frogs. "They're not really frogs, are they?"

"No," said Ron. "But see what the card is. I'm missing Agrippa."

Harry said "What?" at the same time Annastazia said "Me too."

"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know — Chocolate Frogs have cards, inside them, you know, to collect — famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy."

Annastazia motioned Harry to unwrap his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half- moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard, and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name Albus Dumbledore.

"So this is Dumbledore!" said Harry.

"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa — thanks."

Harry read his card.

"He's gone!"

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," said Ron. "He'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her... do you want it? You can start collecting."

Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of Chocolate Frogs waiting to be unwrapped.

"Help yourself," said Annastazia

"But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos." Harry stayed.

"Do they? What, they don't move at all?" Ron sounded amazed. "weird!"

"Really? In all my family photos and portraits everybody moves."

Harry began unwrapping the chocolate frogs at an alarming pace. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the druidess Cliodna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

"You want to be careful with those," Ron warned Harry. "When they say every flavour, they mean every flavour—you know, you get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a boogie- flavoured one once."

"No way! The legendary boogie flavour?"

"Yep."

Ron picked up a green bean, looked at it carefully, and bit into a corner.

"Bleaaargh — see? Sprouts."

They had a good time eating the Every Flavour Beans. Annastazia got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and Harry was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny grey one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.

The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three quarters came in. He looked tearful.

"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"

When they shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn up," said Harry.

"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him..."

He went to go but Annastazia shouted "Neville!"

"Oh, hey Annastazia." He said still sniffling.

"It's okay, I bet you'll find him. You've always been an expert at finding people at hide and seek." Annastazia said consolingly, giving him one of her clean handkerchiefs and tapping his arm.

He smiled smiled softly at her and left.

"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."

The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..."

He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.

"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway-"

He had just raised his 'wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

"We know that." Annastazia said, looking at the girl in alarm.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.

"Er — all right."

He cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me.

Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard — I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough — I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you. "

She said all this very fast.

Harry, Ron and Annastazia app looked at each other, and were relieved to see by eachother's stunned faces that they hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Annastazia Black." Annastazia didn't bother going through her whole speech, she wanted thus girl to leave.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course — I got a few extra books. for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.

"Am I?" said Harry, looking dazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione.

"Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell — George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."

"What house are your brothers in?" asked Harry.

"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"

"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.

"Well, actually all of my family has been in Slytherin, well except from... That doesn't matter. The point is, is that Slytherin is a very noble house."

"Goodbye then, because I'm sure as hell that I'm not going into that slimy snake pit." Ronald answered, downcast.

"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses. "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Did you hear about

Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles — someone tried to rob a high security vault."

Harry stared.

"Really? What happened to them?"

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

"How can he be? The dark lord is dead and buried." Annastazia argued.

"That's what you think. But there's a bit of him alive, isn't there? A bit of him alive in all of his followers!"

"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.

"Oh definitely Tutshill Tornados. Before she died, my Aunt Cassiopeia owned a property in the Forest of Dean, well, it's technically mind now, but she used to take me to their training grounds when I stayed with her." Annastazia answered.

"Tutshill Tornados... There climbing up the Quidditch league at the moment, aren't they?" Ron asked.

"Yes. They could actually easily win it this year if they put their minds to it." Annastazia said, passionately.

"What about you, Harry?"

"Er — I don't know any," Harry confessed.

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world — "

And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money.

Annastazia was just explaining exitedly to Harry some cool Quidditch moves when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.

Three boys entered, it was Draco, Vincent and Gregory. Annastazia didn't want Draco knowing she was here because he'd probably snitch to Uncle Lucius about it so she opened her book and put it in front of her face, hoping the trio didn't spot her.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco looked at him.

the "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," he said coolly. Draco didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

Both Harry and Ron stood up. Annastazia continued hiding.

"Say that again," Ron said, his face as red as his hair.

"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Malfoy sneered.

"Unless you get out now," said Harry, acting foolishly brave.

"But we don't feet like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."

Goyle reached toward the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron - Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touched Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.

Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle - Crabbe and Malfoy backed away as Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabbets finally flew off and hit the window, all three of them disappeared at once.

"A great help you were!" Ron said, angry

"Sorry. It's just...Oh, I'll tell you later, you'll understand then..."

They heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.

"What has been going on?" she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.

"I think he's been knocked out," Ron said to Harry. He looked closer at Scabbers. "No — I don't believe it — he's gone back to sleep-"

And so he had.

"You've met Malfoy before?"

Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side."

"Malfoy's Father? That's my guardian." Annastazia quietly and shyly.

"Huh?" Ron said, befuddled.

"Draco is my cousin. I live with him. That's why I didn't say anything. He was being annoying earlier so I left the carriage."

Ron looked like he was going to say something, but noticed Hermione quietly observing the conversation.

He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

"You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up to the front to ask the conductor, and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!"

"Scabbers has been fighting, not us," said Ron, scowling at her. "Would you mind leaving while we change?"

"All right — I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors," said Hermione in a sniffy voice. "And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"

Ron glared at her as she left. Annastazia peered out of the window. It was getting dark. She could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down. Annastazia moves to the next carriage, where some girls were getting changed and dressed out of her plum dress and black outer robes.

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

Annastazia was beginning to get a headache and her stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles. Harry didn't look any better, either. The boys crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Annastazia shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Annastazia heard a West Country voice:

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?"

A giant!s, who supposed to know Harry, big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me — any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed the large man down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that Annastazia thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville sniffed once or twice.

"Ye' all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," The giant called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black take. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry, Ron and Annastazia were followed into their boat by Hermione.

"Everyone in?" shouted the large man, who had a boat to himself. "Right then — FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled the giant as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said the large man, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after the lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door, rather like the one in Malfoy Manor.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

The large man raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

 **Hello, sorry I've been off for so long. If you've read the previous chapter's author's notes, then you'd know that I'd cut out the** **Summer Ball bit. I had encountered a writers block because of it. Anyway, I'm back on track and it's the Easter holidays now so I should have the next chapter up pretty soon.**

 ** _Tiger without stripes_**

 ** _Love it? Hate it? Review it!_**


	5. The Sorting

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Annastazia's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Manor's Spanish villa house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones in Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Annastazia could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right-the rest of the school must already be here—but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously. Annastazia thought that she could see Draco in amongst the crowd but she could not be sure.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Annastazia flicked her plats behind her shoulder and straightened her tie. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair. Annastazia smiled at him.

"Your going to need some Sleak-eazy on that." Annastazia whispered softly.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"Never mind."

Annastazia let her eyes flick to the ceiling. She started to nervously chew on the end of robe, a habit that was deeply engrained. Whenever she was feeling skittish or scared, she chewed on something ; whether it was chewing on her stuffed hippogriff-which she still slept with at night-or a handkerchief. Uncle Lucius had managed up until now to discourage her from this habit with a cold and snappy comment, but there was no Uncle Lucius with his callous remarks or Aunt Narcissa with her disapproving looks here to save her now, it was just her. It was only her. She couldn't turn around and face Draco. She couldn't see his aristocratic face and know that within an hour her peaceful and guarded life with the Malfoys could be slashed into bloody ribbons, and that very thought terrified her to death. She took the sleeve out of her mouth.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber.

"I'm scared." Annastazia whimpered, quietly enough so no one could here her.

But somebody did.

Ron gave her a shy smile.

"My brother Bill said that it's okay to be scared. Being scared means that you're about to do something really, _really_ brave." Ron said.

The previously boisterous boy's eyes softened.

"It's fine. I'll bet you'll do fine, Black. I bet you'll go right into that nasty snake pit." Ron's soft face dropped but his shaky, nervous smile was still there, signifying he was joking.

Annastazia swallowed. This was bad. This was very bad. She didn't want him to be nice to her! Annastazia wanted him to be nasty, to swear, to be wearing rags, to be ugly and have rotten teath and be making death threats-but he wasn't. He was a boy, and pure-blood but he was a blood-traitor. Even though her and her friends were rich and this boy was not, she had never been gifted such kind and hopeful words in the eleven years she had been alive.

Harry, who had previously looked like he was going to throw up from fright, joined the conversation.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Harry asked Ron and Annastazia.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

"It hurts a lot? That can't be allowed!" She whispered quietly.

Annastazia's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But what if the test declared her a Gryffindor?—what on earth would she do? Being declared a blood-traitor in front of the entire population of magical Britain's teenagers.

She looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. Annastazia tried hard not to listen to her. She'd never been more nervous, never, not even when she had to take a note back to the Manor saying that she'd back-chatted Mrs Leach. She kept her eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead her to her doom.

Then something happened that made her jump about a foot in the air—several people behind her screamed.

"What the — ?"

She gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. She'd never seen a ghost in real life before. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance — "

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost — I say, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Feeling oddly as though her legs had turned to jelly, Annastazia got into line behind a Harry, with Ron behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Annastazia had never seen a more positively splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them.

The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Annastazia looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. She

heard: Hermione whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

"Shut up!" Annastazia hissed, but she didn't think Hermione heard her.

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.

Annastazia quickly looked up again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty.

Noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, she stared at it, too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth — and the hat began to sing:

 _"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

 _But don't judge on what you see,_

 _I'll eat myself if you can find_

 _A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black,_

 _Your top hats sleek and tall,_

 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

 _And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head_

 _The Sorting Hat can't see,_

 _So try me on and I will tell you_

 _Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor,_

 _Where dwell the brave at heart,_

 _Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

 _Where they are just and loyal,_

 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

 _if you've a ready mind,_

 _Where those of wit and learning,_

 _Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin_

 _You'll make your real friends,_

 _Those cunning folk use any means_

 _To achieve their ends._

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

 _And don't get in a flap!_

 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry and Annastazia ."I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."

Annastazia smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to fight a troll but she did wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Annastazia didn't feel like she wanted to have an argument at the moment.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the

hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause—

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at

the Hufflepuff table. Annastazia saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her. If the scroll was going in alphabetical order, she'd be soon. She wasn't ready, she just wasn't. A hundred pure-blood classes couldn't prepare her for this.

"Black, Annastazia!"

Annastazia swallowed as people began whispering. Probably because of her second name. She had never felt ashamed of her name in her life but now... No. She would never feel ashamed of her second name. If that was true, what was this feeling? Fear? Excitement to travel into the unknown? If so, the only unknown she was willing to travel to was the Slytherin common room.

"Good luck." Whispered Harry.

"Yeah, you need it. See you on the other side." Ron said quietly. Grinning cheekily at her, he added: "In Gryffindor, hopefully."

"In your dreams..."

Annastazia shot him a look, because she would hopefully not be in Gryffindor.

Annastazia walked up to the stool her legs shaking. As soon as she broke out of the crowd, Annastazia felt every eye in the room on her. Stumbling drunkenly up to the stool, she tried to think positive thoughts, but they were clouded over with pessimistic ones. Slytherin. Slytherin. Slytherin. Maybe if she asked nicely, it may just pick a house of her choosing.

She sat on the stool, beginning to get a headache and shaking. The last thing she saw before the hat went over her eyes was Draco's calculating and slightly sneering face. The very next second she was looking on the inside of a tatty hat.

"Hmmm... Tricky, very tricky. Your cunning... A natural born Slytherin... And a Black! Oh, but I see a thirst to learn... A love of books... Loyal... Very loyal... Oh, and I see bravery and courage, lots of courage. So where to put you..."

In the worst case scenario, Annastazia could always just beg for forgiveness from the Malfoys, blame it on the stupid hat and make Uncle Lucius bribe the school governors to make her be put in Slytherin. The school governors! That was it! Uncle Lucius was currently a school governor, so he could probably just reverse the imbecile hat's decision

Annastazia sat, gripping the stool and making her knuckles go white. She screwed her eyes tightly shut and felt a surge of arrogance.

A wave of confidence-stupid, idiotic confidence-over came her, and she suddenly felt like she had the whole world under her command. If the stupid hat decided to make the wrong decision, then her Uncle Lucius would have the moronic hat incinerated!

"Do whatever you feel is best." She whispered, foolishly brave.

"Are you sure?"

"I've never been so sure in my life." She answered, still gripping the stool.

"Ok then...mhmmm...difficult, difficult...hmmm...this or that, that or this."

"Have you finished?" Annastazia whispered.

The hat went silent for a moment.

"...Better be..."

Check mate, you stupid, idiotic, moronic, dense, absurd, brainless, gormless, thick headed and witle-

But just as the hat was supposed to blurt put the house she was sorted into, the hat stopped.

And at that moment, she knew she had made a grave mistake.

"No one has ever dared insult me during a sorting before."

"Sorry." Annastazia said very quickly, nervousness beginning to pool in her stomach again.

"Is this arrogance?"

"Yes, yes! Lots of arrogance! I'm a natural born Slytherin!" Annastazia practically shouted, but the hat seemed to ignore her.

"Arrogance? Or bravery?"

Annastazia paused and let that question run through her head.

"Bravery?" She whispered.

Then, she realised what the hat was going to do.

"No, no, no, no! No you don-"

"GRYFFINDOR"

The hat was lifted off her head, and she set her eyes on the first year crowd. Ron and Harry smiled softly but still looked nervous. Daphne and Theodore looked at her with raised eyebrows, Zabini wore an 'I told you so.' expression where as Draco's face said 'Your a disappointment, I am so telling father.'

Annastazia couldn't speak. She felt numb.

Annastazia's legs felt wobbly and she felt faint. She got off the stool and stumbled down to the Gryffindor table. There was a scattering of applause at first, but then there were yells, screams, roaring, clapping and even cat calling. Annastazia smiled politely at the table of raucous students and sat down.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

She sat next to a red headed boy, and across from the red headed twins that she'd seen earlier on the train. Did Ron call them Fred and George? And the prefect... That must be Percy, Ron's older brother. Fred and George were having a whispered conversation.

"That was a hat stall, don't you reckon, Fred?"

"Dunno, George. Might of been, I don't time the sorting."

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Well done for making Gryffindor. I'm the Gryffindor prefect, you know, so any trouble, don't hesitate to report things to me" Whispered Percy, Ron's older brother, rather braggingly.

"Thank you." She said back quietly.

Gryffindor. She'd got sorted into Gryffindor. Uncle Lucius was going to go spare! He'd murder her, or even worse...Disown and disinherit her! Aunt Narcissa would be cold and callous and Draco, she'd dread to think of what Draco would say. And Grandfather Abraxas! He was already in a bout of poor health, so when the news of her sorting reached him, he'd probably die of disappointment!

"Brocklehurst, Mandy"

"RAVENCLAW!"

Annastazia made a quiet, quick and weird sound that was either a snort or a howl of pain. Annastazia didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She'd probably get a howler tomorrow from her Uncle Lucius denouncing her for being a blood-traitor just like her muggle loving mother and father. Annastazia sighed deeply, Draco would probably get into Slytherin like a good boy, which left Annastazia to be the rebel. Annastazia didn't want to be a rebel! Oh, the shame! She'd probably be the favourite topic at Aunt Narcissa's high tea gatherings for at least the next six months. There would be 'Oh, Cissa darling, I wouldn't worry. You still have the boy! Why would you need the girl?' and 'Narcissa, this is simply atrocious! Your family seem to be made up of blood-traitors!'

"Brown, Lavender"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Annastazia peered over at the girl who had just been sorted. Lavender sat on the end of the table leaving room in between her and the twins. Unlike Annastazia, the applause for Lavender had come almost right away. Lavender looked too interested in the sorting to say hello or even introduce herself properly, so Annastazia herself turned towards the sorting and with a jolt, realised it was Millicent that was being sorted next. The large girl approach the stool with a fierce look of determination on her face.

"Bulstrode, Millicent"

"SLYTHERIN!"

Millicent's face lit up with happiness and she briefly looked back at Tracy, before proceeding to the Slytherin table. Tracy flicked her straight, brunette hair over her shoulder.

"Davis, Tracy."

Tracy sat down and, almost immediately, the hat shouted out:

"SLYTHERIN!"

Annastazia sighed as Tracy sat down at the Slytherin table. As she smiled at Millicent, Annastazia wished she was there. She frowned, and then looked at Lavender, who was taking no notice of her. Annastazia looked up to the high table, and noticed that she was looking at Albus Dumbledore-the man that Uncle Lucius spoke of with intense hatred-headmaster of Hogwarts. He looked utterly bizarre. His robes were eccentric, and the muggle-lovers beard shone as brightly as the ghosts.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Scanning the table again, she noticed a man with a purple turban, a sallow faced man with a hooked nose and greasy hair. Annastazia shuddered, she didn't like the look of any of the teachers sitting at the high table.

"Finnigan, Seamus,"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

There was another round of raucous applause as the sandy haired boy sat down next to Lavender.

Annastazia nodded at him and sent him a tight smile, which he returned.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head. You could tell she was a mud-blood. The urgency to please radiated off her like the sun at midday. It was almost sickening.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat.

Annastazia sighed loudly, not bothering to hide her displeasure. She had to share a dormitory with that thing? Annastazia should have listened to Uncle Lucius and gone to Beuxbatons! Hermione sat down by Seamus.

When Neville was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. Annastazia closed her eyes and hopes that Neville would be put in Gryffindor so she wouldn't be entirely alone. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

Neville sat down by Hermione and gave Annastazia a shy smile.

"Greengrass, Daphne!"

When Daphne was called she walked up to the stool with a air of quiet confidence about her. She sat down on the stool, and almost immediately after the hat fell over her blond hair

Draco swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Annastazia felt mildly relieved. If Draco got into Slytherin, maybe the backlash onto her would be decreased... No, she shouldn't get her hopes up. She would get disowned! Merlin... All the fake politeness and sucking up to the higher up people in society, all gone to waste!

Draco went to join Vincent and Gregory, looking pleased with himself.

Theodore was sorted into Slytherin, and so was Pansy.

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

He sat on the stall for a couple of minutes, then the hat bellowed.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The whole hall broke into a thunderous cacophony of applause.

Annastazia let out s shaky breath-that she didn't know she'd been holding-as she watched Harry head towards her. At the moment, the company in Gryffindor didn't seem so bad. But, for most of the people she was judging on first appearances, so they could all be complete nitwits.

Harry sat down beside her and smiled brightly, obviously overjoyed that he'd made it into Griffindor.

And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a black boy even taller than Ron, joined Annastazia and Harry at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Annastazia watched on and hoped that Ron would be placed into the same as her and a second later the hat had shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"

Annastazia clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to Harry.

"Well done, Ron, excellent," said Percy Weasley pompously.

"Zabini, Blaise," was the last to be sorted, but even if he was sorted into Gryffindor his mother would still accept and love him. He was a real mummy's boy. However, there were no surprises when he was made a Slytherin.

Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Annastazia looked down at his empty gold plate.

She had only just realised how hungry she was. The pumpkin pasties and the massive amount of chocolate she consumed seemed ages ago.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there. Annastazia rolled her eyes at the muggle-lover.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Annastazia didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Merlin, he's lost his marbles, hasn't he? He's monstrously barmy!" Annastazia exclaimed to Percy.

"Barmy?" said Percy airily. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit barmy, yes. Potatoes, Annastazia?"

Annastazia should have known there would have been some kind of magic involved with the deliverance of food. The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had to grudgingly admit that she'd never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes,roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some bizarre reason, peppermint is humbugs.

The Malfoys had always laid on a generous dinner spread, but she'd never been so blown away by food in her life. Draco and Annastazia had always taken anything that they'd really wanted, even if It made them sick. Annastazia piled her plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious.

"That does look good," said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Annastazia pour gravy onto her roast beef and roast potatoes.

"You can't eat?" Annastazia asked sympathetically.

"I haven't eaten for nearly four hundred years," said the ghost. "I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

"I know who you are!" said Ron suddenly. "My brothers told me about you- you're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy — " the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interrupted.

"Nearly Headless? How can you be nearly headless?"

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

"Like this," he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His

whole head swung off his neck and fell onto his shoulder as if it was on

a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it

properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks on their faces, Nearly

Headless Nick flipped his head back onto his neck, coughed, and said,

"So — new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable — he's the Slytherin ghost."

Annastazia ooked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Draco, who didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements. Uncle Lucius had always told stories to Draco and Annastazia, bragging about how he was the only one that wasn't scared of the bloody baron. Then he'd go into excruciatingly minor details about the Baron's most gruesome parts.

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Seamus with great interest.

"I've never asked," said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.

"I bet it was in some really gory and gruesome way! I'd wager that there were even some unforgivables involved!" Annastazia said, almost excitedly.

"What are unforgivables?" Harry asked.

"Let is not talk about those horrific things at the dinner table, shall we?" Sir Nicholas scolded her, fixing her with a stern look.

Annastazia blushed slightly but Harry looked really confused.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam

doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding and lots more. Even though Annastazia was already fit to burst,

As Annastazia helped herself to pudfing, the talk turned to their families.

"I'm half-and-half," said Seamus. "Me dad's a Muggle. Mom didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him."

The others laughed.

"What about you, Neville?" said Ron.

"Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch," said Neville, "but the family thought I was all-Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me — he

pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned — but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for dinner, and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidentally let go. But I bounced — all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got in here — they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased

he bought me my toad."

"Oh, Neville." Annastazia said sympathetically, whilst shaking her head.

"What about you?" Seamus asked Annastazia.

"I'm a pure-blood. I live with the Malfoys. I discovered my magic by turning my cousin's hair orange at age three. My Uncle Lucius was thrilled that I had magic, but my cousin was angry because I showed magic before him." Annastazia answered delicately, pouring some double cream onto her strawberries.

"You live with the Malfoys! What rotten luck!" Exclaimed Percy, sitting next to her.

"Rotten luck?" Annastazia frowned. "Why?"

"Why?" Repeated Percy incredulously. "Merlin, is that even a question?"

He shook his head in frustration and went back to having a conversation with Hermione.

Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons ("I do hope they start right away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult-";"You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing — ").

Annastazia, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

Annastazia was about to ask what Harry, who was also looking at the high table, thought of the teachers when something very strange happened.

"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.

"What is it?" asked Percy.

"N-nothing."

Annastazia shot him a look which clearly meant 'tell me about it later' and looked at him with concern plastered on her face.

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" Harry asked Percy.

"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to — everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape."

Annastazia watched Professor Snape for a while, for any signs of suspicious activity, but he didn't look at the Gryffindor table again.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem — just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to

die a very painful death."

Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did. Annastazia pursed her lips at Dumbledore in quiet disbelief. Why in Merlin's name would you tell a bunch of arrogant Gryffindors specifically not to go into a place. It just didn't make sense...

"He's not serious?" She muttered to Percy.

"Must be," said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he

usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere—the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Annastazia noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favourite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

And the school bellowed:

 _"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

 _Teach us something please,_

 _Whether we be old and bald_

 _Or young with scabby knees,_

 _Our heads could do with filling_

 _With some interesting stuff,_

 _For now they're bare and full of air,_

 _Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

 _So teach us things worth knowing,_

 _Bring back what we've forgot,_

 _just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

 _And learn until our brains all rot."_

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and up the marble staircase. Annastazia watched with envy as her pure-blooded friends went down to the dungeons. Annastazia had to sleep in a tower. How boring was that? She'd rather be able to look out onto the Great Lake through windows in the Slytherin Common room's walls. Annastazia noticed with mild disinterest as the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their

feet, and Annastazia was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them, and as Percy took a step toward them they started throwing themselves at him.

"Peeves," Percy whispered to the first years. "A poltergeist." He raised his voice, "Peeves — show yourself"

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let out of a balloon, answered.

"Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?"

There was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and a wide

mouth appeared, floating cross- legged in the air, clutching the walking

sticks.

"Oooooooh!" he said, with an evil cackle. "Ickle Firsties! What fun!"

He swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.

"Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about this, I mean it!" barked Percy.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on

Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armor as

he passed.

"You want to watch out for Peeves," said Percy, as they set off again. "The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are."

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said. "Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it — Neville needed a leg up — and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a cozy, round room full of squashy armchairs.

Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top of a spiral staircase — they were obviously in one of the towers — they found their beds at last: four four-posters hung with deep red, velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pyjamas and fell into bed.

Annastazia turned round to tell Daphne about how amazing the food was, but realised, with a jolt, that she wasn't there. Nobody was there. Just Granger humming a tune as she flicked through one last book before bed, just Lavender combing through her hair, just Parvati deciding which colour pyjama bottoms she was going to wear.

Annastazia's eyes began to water as she hiked up her night dress to clamber into bed.

"Are you alright, Annastazia?" Hermione asked, placing her book on her bed side table and looking at her curiously.

"No." She snapped, and drew the deep red curtains closed in a violent motion

With violent sobs threatening to rack her body, she pulled her bed covers over her head and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, wanting sleep to claim her quickly.

She feel into an uneasy slumber, waking a few times in the night for unknown reasons. The first time she woke up, she reached into her trunk under her bed and pulled out Griffy, her teddy Hippogriff to cuddle.

Wisteria slivered into her arms at sometime in the morning and Annastazia held onto her like a life line. Annastazia sniffled as she had one thought running through her head.

Her one goal in life had been shattered to pieces. She had tried to make her dead relatives proud, but she had failed miserably.

 _She was a disappointment._

 **Authors Note: Hi guys! Sorry it took so long but I kind of lost motivation until an anonymous person left a review! I want to thank them for their comments, they really brightened up my day! It's about 1:30 in the morning where I live, so I better get some sleep now, I've got a busy day tomorrow!**

 ** _Loved it? Hated it? Review it!_**

 **Tiger without stripes**


	6. The Potion’s Master

One thing that Annastazia had learnt since being at hogwarts, was that it was hard being Harry Potter's friend. Well, if you could call them 'friends'. At least the cacophony of whispers weren't aimed at her.

Annastazia soon found out that the silence was the worst. She would have much preferred a howler from Uncle Lucius or a angry letter form Aunt Narcissa but instead, she had received nothing. Absolutely nothing. And that pained her greatly. At Hogwarts was like being in a bubble ; she was deaf and blind to what was happening on the outside. For all she knew, Uncle Lucius could be down at Gringrotts cutting her out of his will.

But, there was an upside to being at Hogwarts. Literally no one in Gryffindor knew French. Annastazia could insult and swear at people to her heart's content, and nobody would bat an eye lid. The only person who seemed to pick up on a few words was Hermione, but that girl knew everything. She liked to insult the twins, who took it upon themselves to make it their personal mission to annoy her daily, and liked to call them each a 'trou du cul' regularly.

Whispers followed Annastazia and Harry from the moment they left their dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at Harry, or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. Annastazia wished they wouldn't, because she was trying to concentrate on finding her way to classes, and even though the whispers weren't aimed at her, they were still very distracting.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Annastazia was surprised to learn the coats of armour could walk.

The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. Sir Nicholas was always happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind you, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"

Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Harry, Ron and Annastazia managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning. Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that unluckily turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.

Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-coloured creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasley twins) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Annastazia quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Annastazia was, of course, naturally talented at this. She was a Black, so space was her speciality. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for. Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight. Annastazia rolled her eyes at this, Harry could never catch a break!

Professor McGonagall was again different. Annastazia had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realised they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.

Annastazia had found out relatively easily that she was absolutely rubbish at transfiguration. Annastazia would have to read up a lot of transfiguration if she hoped to scrape an A in the class.

The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story. For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasley twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.

Annastazia felt that something was off about him, put couldn't put a finger on what exactly it was. Annastazia would have asked Uncle Lucius for a full back ground check on him, but she felt that was better if he contacted her first, because if she sent a letter asking for something he might become even more furious than he evidently already was.

Even though Annastazia had sat through hours upon hours of pre-Hogwarts education, she was quite disappointed to find out that she didn't have much of an edge on her peers.

Friday was an important day for the trio of almost friends. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked Ron as he poured sugar on his porridge.

Annastazia spread marmalade on her toast and poured herself a glass of milk. She had her potion's textbook on the table and was revising the section on antidotes for poisons

"If we've got transfiguration, I might have to fake being sick." Annastazia said quietly, picking her toast up to take a bite.

"I don't really like transfiguration, either. But we might get caught doing that." Harry said, a frown on his face.

Ron was surveying his time table.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favours them -- we'll be able to see if it's true."

"Wish McGonagall favoured us," said Harry.

Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before

"Did you say Snape, Ron?" Annastazia asked absentmindedly.

"Yeah, why?"

"Never mind."

Annastazia knew for a fact that a man named Snape was a good friend of Uncle Lucius. A plan quickly formed in Annastazia's head. If Annastazia made a good impression on Professor Snape, maybe then he'll tell Uncle Lucius about how well behaved she was, even though she was Sorted into Gryffindor.

Just then, the mail arrived. Annastazia held her breath and looked up to where the owls flew in and hope she didn't spot a Malfoy eagle owl.

Annastazia breathed out deeply in relief when no Malfoy eagle owl delivered her a letter. She was dreading when that letter arrived.

"Do you want to meet Hagrid later, Annastazia?"

Harry had got a letter! Although she was relieved that she hadn't got a letter, she was somewhat disappointed that the orphan had got a letter before her.

"I don't see why not."

Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled 'Yes, please, see you later' on the back of the note, and sent his owl, Hedwig, off again.

It was lucky that Annastazia had tea with Harry's friend to look forward to, because the Potions lesson put a dampener on her day.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and Annastazia was suddenly reminded of Malfoy Manor. It felt oddly homely down here in the dark and cold.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, rather unexpectedly, Professor Snape paused at Annastazia's name.

As his eyes looked upon her, Annastazia gave him her best smile. She beamed brightly at him, but all that did was make his lip curl unpleasantly. Annastazia gulped as her smile faltered a bit, but she was eager to make a good first impression.

"Miss...Black."

"Yes, sir." She answered eagerly.

He looked at her in a calculating way, but moved on.

But the way Professor Snape greeted Annastazia was no where near as hostile as he was to Harry.

"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new -- celebrity."

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word -- like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death -- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. Annastazia was also eager to prove that she was in fact the best at potion's making, and she wasn't going to let the mud-blood zoom ahead into the number one spot.

Annastazia had taken a liking to potions from a very young age, and Uncle Lucius had catered to her newly found hobby. He had brought her masses of potions books which she'd flick through daily, and even brought her first cauldron. Uncle Lucius of course didn't let her do any really dangerous recipes, only simple things that Annastazia had no chance of messing up under Uncle Lucius's watchful eyes.

Annastazia's heart sank again momentarily. Thinking about the memories that in the past made her feel so happy, now only brought her sadness.

She'd proved to this professor, that even though she struggled with transfiguration, she'd pass potion's with ease.

Also, it was imperative to make a good impression on Professor Snape so that he could report back to Uncle Lucius about how could of a student she was.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Hermione's hand had shot into the air. Annastazia nearly rolled her eyes at her. Annastazia looked at Harry expectedly, hoping that he wouldn't mess this up.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

Annastazia sighed in disappointment for Harry as Professor Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut -- fame clearly isn't everything."

He ignored Hermione's hand.

"Black!" Snape snapped.

Annastazia nearly jumped out of her seat. What had she done to warrant that kind of tone from him?

"Yes, sir." Annastazia answered.

"Could you scrape whatever little brain power you have together to tell me what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Annastazia pauses for a moment and mulled over the question.

"I think-and correct me if I'm wrong, sir- that if you added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood you would get the Draught of Living Death, which brings upon it's drunker a very powerful sleep that can last indefinitely." Annastazia answered confidently.

Professor Snape raised his eyebrows at her but-to Annastazia's immense disappointment-offered her no praise.

He turned back to Harry .

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but it was obvious to Annastazia that Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Snape said unkindly.

Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.

Annastazia knew what was coming next.

"Black! Let's all just all hope that you can shed some light on this question that is seemingly unanswerable." He glared at Harry before turning back to her.

"A bezoar is a stone-like mass taken from the stomach of a goat. It acts as an antidote to most poisons, but not all." Annastazia said.

This time, Snape gave her a tight nod in her direction.

He then turned back to Harry to give him another vindictive question.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye, and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased. Annastazia glared at him. That was a very foolish thing to do, he had only been at Hogwarts a few days but he was already making enemies.

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter, Black was correct. Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. Black also correctly identified a bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

He made no move to award Annastazia points.

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued.

Professor Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils.The Gryffindor numbers were odd, so Professor Snape paired her up with a Slytherin: Daphne Greengrass. Daphne gave her a tight, cold, almost fake smile but made no attempt to start a conversation, obviously fearing the repercussions of being seen affiliating with a blood-traitor. Professor Snape swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticising almost everyone except Draco, whom he seemed to like. When Professor Snape came over to criticise her and Daphne's potion, it looked like he could find no faults so he just curled his lip and walked off. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Draco had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed, moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

"Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville. Annastazia craned her neck to get a better look at the situation.

"You-Potter-why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

Harry evidently thought that this was unfair so, he opened his mouth to argue, but Ron kicked him behind their cauldron.

"Don't push it," Annastazia heard him mutter, "I've heard Snape can turn very nasty."

Just as Annastazia was about to leave, Daphne discreetly pressed a note into Annastazia's hands. Annastazia looked at Daphne inquisitively, but Daphne regarded Annastazia with a cold look and walked off to the other side side of the room to catch up to Theo, who was leaving the dungeon.

As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon, Annastazia mulled over the class. She hoped she made a some what good impression on Professor Snape, even though he seemed to despise her at the start of the lesson. What confused Annastazia was how hostile Professor Snape was to Harry,

"Cheer up," said Ron, "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George. Can I come and meet Hagrid with you?"

"And me?" Annastazia asked.

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.

When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang -- back."

Annastazia gasped slightly as Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."

He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boar-hound.

There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.

"This is Ron," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.

"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

"And this is Annastazia." Harry said joyfully, motioning at her.

Annastazia, who had been previously trying to hide behind Harry but failing miserably because she was a couple of centimetres taller than Harry, gave him a shy smile.

Hagrid looked at her a minute, and just as it looked like he was going to say something about how much of a Black she looked like, he said:

"An' you look like the spitting image of yer mother." He said, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Really?" Asked Annastazia, her eyes widening.

"Yes, you got 'er 'air. Marlene's was always a bit messy like yer's, a mass of curls it was." Hagrid said, smiling at her.

Annastazia was overjoyed, she had never seen a picture or a portrait of her mother before, and was always told that she had her Aunt Bellatrix's hair. Annastazia thought that her Aunt Bellatrix's hair was a bit smoother than her's, though. Annastazia's hair was frizzy, but not to the extent of the rat's nest that sat on Hermione Granger's head.

The rock cakes that they were promised turned out to be shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Harry, Annastazia and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons. Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes.

They don't were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch "that old git."

"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her -- Filch puts her up to it."

Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.

"But he seemed to really hate me." Harry exclaimed.

"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?"

"He was probably just in a bad mood." Suggested Annastazia, taking a sip of tea from her massive mug.

"How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot-great with animals."

While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet, Harry began to silently read it so Annastazia peered over his shoulder so she could too:

 _GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST_

 _Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown._

 _Gringotts goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied the same day._

 _"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokes goblin this afternoon._

Annastazia remembered Ron telling her on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.

"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

Hagrid grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry looked like he was in deep thought and Annastazia looked at the newspaper again. Nothing noteworthy, but it seemed to be important to Harry so she'd ask him about it later

As Harry, Ron and Annastazia walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighed down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Annastazia thought about Daphne's note in her pocket. Maybe it was news on her disownment, maybe it was gossip that Tracy had picked up, maybe it was a paragraph declaring that Daphne no longer wanted to be seen with Annastazia.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was Daphne declaring her everlasting friendship and allegiance with Annastazia.

 **So, that's it! I will be making updates more regular, so stick around! Also, I want to personally thank all the people who reviewed, followed and favourited this story, you really do motivate me to write more! Your reviews have been wonderful and I can't thank you enough!**

 **Trou du cul = asshole**

 ** _Love it? Hate it? Review it!_**

 **Tiger without stripes **


	7. The Midnight Duel

"And you say you've never even heard of a television before?" Asked Hermione in a condescending tone.

"No, because I'm an upstanding member of the wizarding community." Annastazia replied, rolling her eyes slightly at her.

Since arriving at Hogwarts, Annastazia had tried to mind her own business, and only really talked to Harry and Ronald, since they were bearable. But someone that she absolutely couldn't stand was Hermione Granger. The girl had tried relentlessly to befriend her, and today she'd even followed her up to bed, after Annastazia excused herself at 7 o'clock to go to her dormitory since she usually felt uncomfortable around a large crowd of Gryffindors, most of them she didn't even know the name of, so whilst the boys usually stayed up late, Annastazia went to her room early. She usually did her homework, read a book, brushed her hair, go straight to sleep or lie in her bed, look up at the ceiling and make a plan for when her family inevitably disowned her. But today, she was going to the library.

"Where in Britain did you come from, anyway?" Hermione's annoying voice interrupted Annastazia's intense hair brushing session.

"Wiltshire." Annastazia answered, not looking at her.

"Oh, in the countryside? I grew up in London. It's a big culture shock, to be honest, being here. I'm used to the hustle and bustle of city life."

"London, did you say?" Annastazia said, her head perking up in slight interest. "My Grandparents lived there before they died."

"Where in London? (It's a big place you know)."

"Uh, I can't remember off the top of my head." Annastazia answered, putting her brush back in the drawer of her bedside table and picking up her robe from where it lay in a disgruntled mess on the floor.

"Oh! Well maybe I cou-" Hermione began.

"Actually Hermione, I'm going downstairs to see the boys now." Annastazia interrupted her, putting her dressing gown on over her night dress.

"The boys?"

"Ronald and Harry."

"Okay." Said Hermione, giving Annastazia a sad little look that almost made Annastazia feel guilty.

"But I'll see you a bit later, alright?"

"Yes."

Although Annastazia found Hermione really annoying, she sympathised with her sometimes. She was a muggle-born, and though she hated to admit it, Annastazia was in the same boat as her. It was really pot luck that Annastazia had found friends in Harry and Ron, because if there was anything worse than being a blood-traitor, it was a blood-traitor loner.

Annastazia walked downstairs and made a beeline for Harry and Ronald, who were looking intently at a notice pinned up on a wall of the Gryffindor common room. And going by the boy's expressions, the notice was not good.

"Annastazia! Look at this! This will probably make your day." Ron said gloomily, scowling slightly.

Gryffindor-First Years Only

Flying lessons will commence at 3:30 on Thursday afternoon. Gryffindors will be joined by Slytherin and will partake in these lessons together. These lessons are compulsory. Brooms will be provided.

"Typical," said Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."

"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk. Isn't it, Annastazia?"

"Well, I don't know. He is, uh, pretty good, but I think that my Uncle and Aunt inflate his head a bit when it comes to flying. But, he is quite fast when he's in the air, but maybe that's just because he has one of the best brooms money can buy. However, I do think he's got talent, he's there one second, and then he's gone. It's like he was born to be on a broom." Annastazia boasted, but at the same time tried to make the boys feel better.

"I'll probably just flop off my broom, knowing my luck." Said Harry, looking downcast.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry. The broom won't let you do that. They're probably in top-notch condition." Annastazia reassured the boys.

"Top-notch condition, you say Black?"

Annastazia wheeled round quickly to see the Ronald's twin brothers smiling cheekily at her with matching grins.

"Of course they would be. They have to be. Otherwise the school would be paying out a lot of money for negligence on their part." Answered Annastazia, sitting in front of the fire by Harry.

"Look George, Ron's got himself a girlfriend."

"I can see, Fred, and a smarty-pants as well."

"Shut up. She's not my Girlfriend." Ron mumbled, the tops of his ears going red.

"And I'm not a smarty-pants. It's common sense, which you clearly do not have." Annastazia answered back, glaring slightly at the twins.

"Just go way!" Ron said, looking at his brothers disdainfully.

The twins ignored him.

"So, Black, how do you explain how they vibrate when you get too high?" One of the twins said.

Harry's jaw dropped and Annastazia felt the sudden need to reassure him.

"It's just a safety measure I expect, to stop students going too high so they don't hurt themselves." Annastazia said, trying to grasp at straws.

"Or how they always fly slightly to the left?"

Annastazia shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to say to that.

"Is that true?" Harry whispered to her.

Quickly, Annastazia shook her head. The brooms couldn't be in that bad of a condition could they?

"I'm going to be rubbish at this. Malfoy talks about quidditch a lot, he's going to be way ahead of me..."

Draco certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. Annastazia knew this wasn't true of course, but she let him ramble on, because if she interrupted him, he'd probably just ignore her anyway. She doubted he'd even ever seen a helicopter. He wasn't the only one that had taken a likening to gossiping excitedly about quidditch though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom. Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who was a Gryffindor boy in their year, about football. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. Annastazia couldn't care less about football and agreed with Ron most of the time when the subject came up.

Annastazia herself had tried to limit her time talking about quidditch, because it made Harry uncomfortable and he was clearly scared about flying lessons. Annastazia herself had flew on Draco's broom a few times when he wasn't looking, and she was quite good at it so was fairly certain she would not show herself up. Well, she hoped she wouldn't show herself up.

"Anyway, I must go. I could say that I am disappointed to leave such a riveting discussion, but I won't, because it was truly boring." Annastazia said, excusing herself.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked, looking at her in curiosity.

"The library."

Annastazia picked up her satchel.

"Please look after Wisteria, Ron. I fear she will get lonely if I leave her."

"Alright." Said Ron, looking in apprehension at Wisteria, who was stretching next to the fire.

Leaving the Gryffindor common room, Annastazia felt excitement suddenly fill her. The note that Daphne had given Annastazia was a invitation to join in a study session with herself and Theo, and Annastazia felt grateful to have been given this opportunity.

When she arrived at the library, she was overwhelmed by the number of books and the size of the library. There were many nooks and crannies between the shelves where tables were and Annastazia began to look for Theo and Daphne.

Eventually, she found them in one of the more secluded spots of the library, and sat down at the table. She looked at their ties enviously as she pulled out her books. There was a sense of awkwardness in the air as Daphne continued to write on a piece of parchment, deep in thought.

"Hello." Said Theo, "How are things? I heard your life has gone down hill pretty quickly."

Annastazia looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and Daphne rolled her eyes.

"That's rich coming from you, Theodore, wasn't your sister-" Daphne began.

"Daphne, don't you dare complete that sentence." Theo warned.

Daphne turned to Annastazia a smug smile on her face.

"Theodore's sister called Snape handsome."

Annastazia's face scrunched up in a look of deep disgust.

"I know right? Florence needs to be disowned straight away."

They laughed and fell into a quite comfortable silence.

"What happened, Annastazia?"

Annastazia knew exactly what Daphne was referring to. The sorting. Annastazia quietly shook her head.

"It doesn't matter now."

Daphne looked at her in a sympathetic way.

"It's going to be okay, Annastazia."

"No it's not," Theodore snorted, "We all know full well there's going to be consequences."

"I don't really want to talk about it." Annastazia said to Theodore.

She had already mulled over the consequences of her 'actions', and did not want her mind to dwell on that subject any longer.

The conversation quickly evolved into their classes, and of course gravitated towards the flying lessons. Daphne seemed alright with the upcoming lessons but Theodore was sceptical. He kept going on about how stupid putting the Gryffindors and Slytherins together were, and something bad was bound to happen, but Daphne told him to shut up because a teacher would be there, and it would just be a normal flying lesson.

Soon, it was nearing eight o'clock, and they had to be out of the library so Annastazia collected up her books and put them back in her bag. It was stupid to even bring them, she didn't even get any work done.

As they were walking out, they passed Thelonious Nott, who was walking up to the librarians' desk.

"Hello, Thelonious." Annastazia said shyly.

He ignored her, which was to be expected. Annastazia continued on out of the library with the Slytherin duo, who were still in a heated discussion about flying lessons.

"I feel quite sorry for Neville. He is definitely going to make a fool of himself." Daphne said as she walked away.

Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. She'd never tell Neville, but Annastazia thought that his grandmother had made the right decision because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the grounds.

Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was. This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book-not that she hadn't tried. At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called Quidditch Through the Ages. Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail.

Annastazia looked up and sighed deeply in relief when she didn't see the letter, it would be soon though, and she was dreading for it to happen. She had not got a single letter from the Malfoys yet. In direct contrast to Annastazia, Draco's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table.

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

"It's a Remembrall!" he explained. "Gran knows I forget things -- this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red -- oh... " His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, "... you've forgotten something..."

Then suddenly another barn owl zoomed down on the table in front of her, and Annastazia jumped. Her face turned ashen. It wasn't an eagle owl, but the Malfoys did own a few barn owls.

"Are you going to take it?" Ron's voice broke through her thoughts.

She looked up at Harry and Ron, who instead of taking interest in the remembrall, took interest in her letter. Harry, who probably realised that the situation was serious for some reason, looked at Ron for an explanation.

"Yes, of course. If it's a letter from my Aunt or Uncle I should... answer it with haste."

Ron nodded, his eyes narrowing in concentration at the letter. Harry looked at Ron and Annastazia strangely but went along with them in acting serious nonetheless.

Annastazia took the letter from the barn owl which twitched its leg, screeched a little bit and took off.

Miss Annastazia Black

Formal address. This was a very bad start.

The writing on the front of the envelope did not exactly match Aunt Narcissa's or Uncle Lucius's, but it didn't matter. The writing was rather loopy and Annastazia had to squint to read it.

Annastazia opened the envelope carefully and pulled out the letter. She opened it, and would've read it, if a photo hadn't fallen out.

Something was wrong, very wrong. Why would her Aunt or Uncle sent her a photo?

On the back of the photo was the same loopy hand writing and has she squinted to read it, a shiver went up her spine. No. This could not be happening. Why was she contacting her?

The Tonks Family: Ted, Nymphadora and I.

"Holy Merlin..." Annastazia whispered.

It had not even been a month and she was being excepted into the fold of blood-traitors and their family.

Annastazia flipped over the photo and began to feel sick. There were three people in the moving photo: the man, presumably Ted, was laughing joyfully, a merry smile upon his face. Nymphadora, looked mildly grumpy, but then laughed at her father. Nymphadora looked, how could she put it, strange. Her hair was bobbed in a neon green, but then grew out longer and curlier in the colour of florescent pink. Then, there was her Aunt Andromeda who looked so similar to her sister Bellatrix Lestrange that Annastazia would not be able to tell the difference between them if it wasn't for the kind and happy look on on her Aunt's face.

"Who's that?" Ron asked looking over Annastazia's shoulder.

"No one important." Annastazia lied, pushing the photo and letter carelessly back into the envelope and then quickly stuffing the envelope into the outside pocket of her robe.

Neville was still trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Annastazia's favourite person in the world at the moment Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.

Harry and Ron jumped to their feet and Annastazia gave them a dirty look. They were obsessed with him and were probably half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

"What's going on?"

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor."

Scowling, Draco quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.

"Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him, only too come back a moment later.

"Go away, Malfoy!" Ron said rather loudly.

Draco held his hands up in surrender, obviously not wanting Professor McGonagall to come back again.

"Black, Pansy wanted me to give this to you." He said, basically throwing the 'gift' down on the table.

Annastazia regarded the envelope with suspicion, because why would pug-faced Pansy be giving her anything? She also noted how Draco used her last name.

"Thank you, Malfoy. Make sure to tell Parkinson her gift was well received." Annastazia said, a very fake smile on her face.

She waited until he swaggered off back to the Slytherin table before she shoved Pansy's envelope in her pocket with the other one.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Said Harry, cautiously.

"No, why would I?"

At three-thirty that afternoon, Annastazia, Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance. Annastazia silently hoped that this lesson would put her off what happened this morning, because the longer those envelopes sat in her pocket, the longer they annoyed her.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Annastazia was still pretty sure that when she had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left, that it was untrue, and they were just trying to scare the first years.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, greyhound hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Annastazia glanced down at her broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"

"UP" everyone shouted.

Annastazia's broom flew up into her hand straight away and Annastazia grinned wildly. She looked over at Harry and noticed his had jumped into his hand. They smiled at each other.

They were one of the only ones who had made their boom jump up into their hand though. Hermione Granger's broom had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like flying horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Annastazia ; there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry turned round to smile at Ron and they were delighted when she told Draco he'd been doing it wrong for years. Annastazia rolled her eyes at them.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle-three-two-"

But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle -twelve feet, twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and:

WHAM! a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay facedown on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.

"Broken wrist," Annastazia heard her mutter. "Come on, boy, it's all right, up you get."

She turned to the rest of the class.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Draco burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

Some of the other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."

"Ha, says you Parkinson you little hypocrite. You're always around the biggest cry baby of them all, your mother." Annastazia spat, always willing to have a confrontation with the sickly-sweet girl and eager to defend Neville.

The crowd of Slytherins and Gryffindors, who had seemed to sense the confrontation going on between the two girls and had gravitated towards them, made noises of encouragement for Annastazia, clearly egging her on.

"How dare you Black, you nasty bloo-" Pansy went to hiss back.

"Look!" said Draco, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass, effectively stopping the argument. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," said Harry quietly.

Everyone stopped talking to watch. Annastazia shook her head at him, signifying him to stop. Draco smiled nastily.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find, how about, up a tree?"

"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Draco had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. Annastazia rolled her eyes. She knew he hadn't been lying, he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

Harry grabbed his broom.

"No!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move, you'll get us all into trouble."

Harry ignored her. Annastazia moved quick.

"Harry, please don't get into a confrontation with him. He has some powerful people in his corner." Annastazia said quietly.

"A confrontation? Like the one you just had with Parkinson?" Harry snapped unexpectedly.

Annastazia stepped back, surprised at Harry's outburst.

"Well, be my guest then. Be expelled. See if I care." Annastazia growled.

Harry's eyes softened a fraction, and he looked like he was going to apologise when Draco's shout interrupted him.

"POTTER!"

Harry looked up at Draco with a determined expression. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his robes whipped out. He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher, and the screams and gasps of girls back on the ground vocalised up to the sky and an admiring whoop sounded from Ron.

"Oh no..." Hermione whispered.

Annastazia rolled her eyes as the two fought in the air, Harry slightly unsteady on his broom but otherwise looking confident. Harry turned his broomstick sharply to face Draco in midair. Draco looked stunned.

Annastazia couldn't see very clearly what was going on in the air, but squinted nonetheless. Then, out of the blue, Harry began to dive headfirst towards the ground. Annastazia gasped in horror, but he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.

"HARRY POTTER!"

Professor McGonagall was running towards the group. Oh no... This was bad news! Harry would be expelled for sure!

"Never-in all my time at Hogwarts-"

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously.

"How dare you! You might have broken your neck!"

"Professor McGonagoll, I beseech you to see reason! It was obviously not Harr-"

"I am not interested, Miss Black."

"It wasn't his fault, Professor!"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil."

"But Malfoy-"

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."

The group watched Harry and Professor McGonagall's retreating backs with a mixture of awe, shock and confusion at what had just happened. Hermione, who had just been gripping her broom very tightly, dropped it like it was on fire. The rest of the group followed suit, afraid to get into anymore trouble than they evidently already were. The exception was of course Annastazia's pompous cousin, who held his broom triumphantly like it was a trophy.

"What the hell just happened..." Seamus remarked, looking at the group in bemusement.

"I'll tell you what just happened, Finnegan, Potter is just being taken to the headmasters office to be expelled." Draco said, with a grin on his face.

"And does this please you?" Annastazia said, angrily.

"Oh yes, very much so." Draco turned around to face Annastazia, his grin only faltering for a second before growing into an irritatingly smug smirk.

"Well then, I'd like to tell you, Draco Malfoy, that I've never much liked you." Annastazia said calmly, smiling at him in the same way he was smiling at her.

"No?" Draco's confidence crumbled.

"No. You're always prancing around Malfoy Manor like you're some kind of king. But do you know, what? I've got something that you'll never have. The joy of being the favourite child."

"What?" Draco's eyes seemed to bulge out of his head.

Dean made a low whistling sound. The Slytherins were stunned to silence, but the Gryffindors, however, looked like Christmas had come early. Annastazia felt confidence fill her at Draco's shocked face and began to dig deeper into this obvious insecurity of Draco's.

"How disappointed you must be that even though you are a boy, and the biological child, you fail to win both Uncle Lucius's and Grandfather Abraxas's favour. I've even heard that I will be the one to get the bigger cut in Grandfather Abraxas's will, not you." Annastazia said in barely a whisper, but her voice was laced with venom.

"That's not true!" Draco yelled, in stark contrast to Annastazia's calm and composed remarks.

"Oh, it's not? Then how come every Christmas I get a selection of expensive jewellery, priceless family heirlooms and a bucket-load of galleons from Grandfather Abraxas. I get all that and what are you gifted? A measly hundred galleons."

"Ohhhhh, your going to get it now, Annastazia." Draco shouted, almost shaking with anger

"Oh, really?" Annastazia said.

"Yes, I'm going to tell mother that you've been telling lies."

"I'm so scared. Is that the best you can do?"

Draco was about to reply when a very smug looking Parkinson stepped in front of him.

"You're acting rather bold for someone who's just seen some hard evidence of what happens to blood-traitors." Pansy sneered.

"Excuse me?" Annastazia said, confused.

"The article. Of your dead mother. Don't tell me that you've got such a short brain span that you've forgotten already?" Pansy asked, scowling at the very notion.

"What article, Parkinson?"

Annastazia was starting to get a little scared.

"The newspaper article that Draco gave you this morning?" Pansy asked, impatiently.

"Draco didn't give me a newspaper article. What are you on about?"

Pansy wheeled round to Draco, who held his hands up in surrender.

"Maybe she hasn't taken it out of the envelope yet, Pans." Draco suggested.

The envelope. Now Annastazia remembered. Annastazia brought out one of the envelopes but quickly put it back in once she realised that it was the one from her blood-traitor Aunt. Reaching into her outer pocket again, she plucked out the other envelope. She tore it open and pulled pulled out a newspaper article.

Marlene Black's Mangled Body Found Outside Diagon-Alley: Not For The Faint Hearted!

Annastazia stomach dropped and she felt her eyes travelling down the page subconsciously, and when she got down to the photo was met with a horrific sight.

Her mother's mangled body lay in a heap on a cobblestone street. Her body was torn open and her organs were clearly visible. A nasty slash across her gut spewed sluggish blood that collected in a puddle around her body. Frizzy brown hair stuck to her face, caked with a thick layer of crimson blood. Her eyes were wide open and frozen in her last moments ; they were pain filled and had a tortured look about them, and Annastazia felt herself imagining what it would be like to die like that, completely helpless and at the mercy of your killers.

Annastazia looked at the photo blankly. This was the first photo she'd ever seen of her mother and it was horrifying.

"I hate you." Annastazia spat truthfully at Draco. "I really hate you."

She felt tears begin to spring up in her eyes, but she subdued them, not wanting Parkinson and Draco to get the satisfaction that they had made her upset.

"And I hate you too, Black, you nasty little blood-traitor. You are no cousin of mine."

There were gasps from the crowd. This just made Annastazia more angrier at Draco. She leaned forward, grabbed him, and pushed him as hard as she could. Toppling over, Draco gave a sharp squeak of outrage as he fell in a wet patch of mud. Annastazia turned around and fled the scene, the newspaper tightly scrunched up in her clenched fist.

As she turned to round the corner into the castle, Annastazia saw Harry excitedly bound towards the great hall but stopped when he noticed her.

"Annastazia? What are you doing out of lessons?"

Annastazia wiped a hand across her eyes and sniffed loudly. She shrugged and gave Harry a broken smile. Sitting down on a nearby bench, Annastazia unfurled the news paper article gently and gazed at it longingly.

"It's my mother. It's the very first time I've seen her."

Harry smiled.

"I wish I had a photo of my mother. May I see?"

Annastazia nodded and felt Harry take a seat next to her. She handed the photo over to him and watched as his facial expressions turned to one of complete elation, to absolute horror.

"Annastazia..."

She took the photo back off him and folded it up delicately.

"Draco. He gave it to me. It shows how quickly things can change, can't it? One day you're as happy as a new born lamb, only to find the next day you're being sent to the slaughter." Annastazia said unemotionally.

"He's your family though, right? Your cousin?" Harry asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

Annastazia scoffed.

"I think he's made it extremely clear where he stands with that matter..."

Harry looked at her and smiled sadly.

"Well, you'll always have me, you know. My..." Harry took a deep breath. "My family doesn't really like me, either."

Annastazia smiled in appreciation at his honesty. Harry moved his arms hesitantly for a second, but then wrapped them around Annastazia and pulled her into a very awkward hug. Annastazia sat as stiff as a board, but still managed to pat him on the back softly. It was an uncomfortable hug, but a hug nevertheless. They pulled apart a moment later.

"Thank you, Harry." Annastazia said softly.

"You're welcome, Annastazia. Now come on, we need to get to the great hall before someone realises we're missing."

It was dinnertime. Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth, but he'd forgotten all about it.

"Seeker ?" he said. "But first years never...You must be the youngest house player in about-"

"A century," said Harry, shoveling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. "Wood told me."

"Isn't that brilliant, Annastazia?"

"Excuse me?" Annastazia asked looking up from where she had been pushing some pastry around her plate.

"Harry is the youngest seeker in a century! Isn't that amazing?"

Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and and looked admirably at him. Harry beamed proudly, looking happy at what he had accomplished.

"That's good." Annastazia said uninterestingly, putting her head on her hands, but then spotted there crestfallen faces. "Amazing, actually."

"Cheer up, Annastazia. They're only Slytherins, what did you expect?" Ron said dryly.

Annastazia sighed deeply and looked away from Ron, only to see Pug-faced Parkinson and Draco looking very chummy at the Slytherin table. Betrayal. It stung like a female-dog.

"I start training next week," said Harry. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."

Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted the group, and hurried over.

"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too, Beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

Fred and George were about to leave when one of them turned to face Annastazia, grinning.

"You look like you've been dragged through the bush backwards, Black."

"J'en ai plus rien à foutre." Annastazia grumbled and waved them away with a dismissive hand.

The other ginger twin stepped forward.

"I have a feeling your saying some not so nice things about us in French, Black."

"Ta gueule." Said Annastazia, starting to enjoy this.

"Black, you do know that we have the power to turn your..."

They looked at each other.

"...Lovely...black locks of hair a very sickly orange colour."

"T'as pas de couilles..."

Fred and George stalked off after Annastazia continual insistence of not talking English in their presence, and had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Draco, flanked by Gregory and Vincent.

"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said Harry coolly.

There was of course nothing at all little about Vincent and Gregory, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl. Annastazia watched the scene in silence, not wanting to really get involved.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," said Draco. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only, no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," said Ron, wheeling around. "I'm his second, who's yours?"

Draco looked at Gregory and Vincent, sizing them up.

"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."

"And I'm his third!" Annastazia blurted out, rather bravely.

"Oh, you're still here? I would have thought Father would have shipped you off to Beuxbatons by now." Draco turned around, scoffing pompously.

"He wouldn't do that! Uncle Lucius loves me!" Annastazia argued weekly.

"Correction, Uncle Lucius did love you."

When Draco had gone, Annastazia slumped back down in her chair whilst Ron and Harry looked at each other.

"What is a wizard's duel?" said Harry. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"

"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," said Ron casually, getting started at last on his cold pie. Catching the look on Harry's face, he added quickly, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," Ron suggested.

"Do you know any cool spells, Annastazia?" Harry asked, looking eager to cheer her up.

"A few," She said, then added, "This pie is cold."

She pushed her plate away, not having ate much at all.

"Put some gravy on it." Ron mumbled through a mouthful of food.

"If wouldn't make a difference, I don't even like steak and kidney pie."

"Suit yourself, then." Ron said, scraping the last remains of his pie into his mouth.

"Excuse me."

They all looked up. It was Hermione Granger.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" said Ron.

Hermione ignored him and spoke to Harry.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying--"

"Bet you could," Ron muttered.

"And you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And it's really none of your business," said Harry.

"Good-bye," said Ron.

It had been the worst day at Hogwarts yet, thought Annastazia, who was safely tucked up in her bed with Wisteria curled up by her side. She supposed she'd have to make some kind of contact with her family soon, but it didn't seem like the right time yet. Maybe it was safer just to let them contact her first. The thought of telling on Draco to Aunt Narcissa was an admittedly attractive idea, but was dispelled from her mind after acknowledging that her Aunt and Uncle would probably side with Draco on the matter, since Annastazia was out of favour at the moment.

She lay cocooned in her bed sheets, trying to think up a few spells that would lead the Gryffindors to victory. She didn't want to seriously harm Draco, but she didn't want him to come away from the 'fight' unscathed either. What was that defensive spell that protected you against attacking magic called again? She couldn't remember. She couldn't remember anything. If the worst happened, she might have to physically attack the Slytherins, which was not her area of expertise. Annastazia recalled the time when her Uncle Lucius had tried to teach her how to throw knives with a butter knife, but she wasn't very good at it and besides, where would she be able to get hold of a knife at this time of night?

Annastazia started to doubt herself. Should she really be doing this? What if this was a trap? She scoffed quietly at the idea. Draco didn't have the brains to do that.

She was getting restless, so Annastazia crept over to the other side of the room where Parvati Patil was sleeping, her feet gently padding on the cold wooden floor, and looked at the clock on Parvati's bedside table.

It was 11 O'clock.

Annastazia shrugged. She was half an hour early but she decided to just go downstairs to the common room to make sure the boys didn't leave her. Pulling on her bath robe and slipping on her slippers, Annastazia jumped at the sound of a very loud meow. She looked down to see a very angry, hissing cat at her feet.

"Are you serious right now? I literally just fed you!" Annastazia said very quietly, trying not to wake the others.

Wisteria swished her tail from side to side and Annastazia sighed loudly.

"I left your food downstairs, your going to have to come with me." She whispered.

Annastazia grabbed her wand and lifted Wisteria into her arms and opened the heavy door towards the stairs. It creaked and Annastazia grimaced. If Hermione the goody two shoes woke up, it would all be over

She carried Wisteria down the stairs and placed her down onto one of arm chairs. She picked up the cat's ceramic bowl she had left by the fire place and poured some cat biscuits in there from a bag she'd left by the bowl. Wisteria pranced off of the chair and sniffed the bowl, but didn't eat anything. Annastazia sighed in frustration. She picked the cat up again and plopped onto one of the arm chairs with Wisteria still in her arms. Annastazia threaded her hands through Wisteria's fur and sat there, with her eyes closed, listening to the crackles and spits of the dying embers on the fire.

"Annastazia? Are you ready to go?"

Annastazia's eyes sprang open and fixed upon Ronald and Harry, both dressed in their pyjamas and gripping their wands tightly.

She tried to sit up but felt a very angry kitten push her claws into her skin.

"Ow! Wisteria stop!"

Ronald looked down at the cat.

"We can always just bring Wissie along, its no trouble. Plus, she might scratch Malfoy's eyes out." Ron shrugged.

Ignoring the absolutely rubbish nickname Ron has given her cat, she fixed them both with a stern look.

"Nobody's going to be scratching anyone's eyes out, alright? We're going to got to the trophy room, throw about a few harmless spells then go back to bed."

"Yes, mum." Harry rolled his eyes.

Annastazia frowned.

Annastazia picked up her wand and shoved it in her pocket. She grabbed Wisteria.

"Move out, troops." Ronald whispered in a funny voice, and began to tiptoe to the portrait hole, trying to be stealthy.

Annastazia and Harry shared a look, but followed Ron in the same way.

They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them, "I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry."

A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink bathrobe and a frown. How in Merlin's name did Annastazia not spot her?

"You!" said Ron furiously. "Go back to bed!"

"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped, "Percy-he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."

Harry turned to Annastazia quietly.

"I can't believe anyone could be so interfering." Harry whispered into her ear.

"I wondered what you were doing, Annastazia, coming downstairs so late, but that's when I realised. You're going with them aren't, you?"

Annastazia averted her eyes.

"Come on," Harry said to Ron and Annastazia. He pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.

Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily. She followed Ron through the portrait hole, hissing at them like an angry goose.

"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells."

"Go away."

"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so-"

"Look, Hermione, I know you're just looking out for Gryffindor or whatever, but this is something we have to do."

"No, you don't Annastazia! I thought we're smarter than this!"

Annastazia shrugged. The trio began to walk away.

But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a nighttime visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.

"Now what am I going to do?" she asked shrilly.

"That's your problem," said Ron. "We've got to go, we're going to be late."

They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.

"I'm coming with you," she said.

"You are not."

"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all three of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."

"You've got some nerve-" said Ron loudly.

"Shut up, both of you!" said Harry sharply. "I heard something."

It was a sort of snuffling.

"Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.

It wasn't Mrs. Norris. It was Neville. He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer.

"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."

"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."

"How's your arm?" said Harry.

"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."

"Good, well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later-"

"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, Annastazia stepping forward to help him up. "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."

Ron looked at his watch and then glared furiously at Hermione and Neville.

"If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told us about, and used it on you."

Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell Ron exactly how to use the Curse of the Bogies, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward.

They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn Annastazia expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room.

Draco and Crabbe weren't there yet. The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness. They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Annastazia took out her wand in case Draco leapt in and started at once. She put Wisteria gently into her pocket. The minutes crept by.

"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered.

Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Annastazia had only just raised her wand when they heard someone speak, and it wasn't Draco.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris. Horror-struck, Annastazia looked towards Harry, he looked at her and then waved madly at the other three to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room. Annastazia brought her cat out of her pocket and stuffed her wand back in there. She cradled Wisteria carefully in her arms, shushing her slightly. She did not want it to be her fault their position had been discovered.

"They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding."

"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others.

Petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armour. Annastazia gripped onto the end of Harry's bathrobe leave and gulped. She'd never been more scared in her life. They could hear Filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist, and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armour.

The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.

"RUN!" She heard Harry yell, and the five of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following, they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead-with Annastazia now gripping onto his hand in a fierce grip and trying to balance her cat in her left hand-without any idea where they were or where they were going, they ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles from the trophy room.

"I think we've lost him," Harry panted, leaning against the cold wall and wiping his forehead. Neville was bent double, wheezing and spluttering.

"We should keep moving, it's not over. He could come around the corner at any moment..." Annastazia wheezed, completely out of breath.

"I...told...you," Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest, "I...told...you."

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor tower," said Ron, "As quickly as possible."

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realise that, don't you? He was never going to meet you, Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."

"Thanks for that observation, Hermione. It's pretty obvious what he just did. Even the most obtuse of us could figure that one out." Annastazia said sarcastically, getting her breath back at last.

Hermione turned to Ron.

"Well, let's ask. Ron, you're obtuse, did you figure that one out?"

"Oi!"

"Let's go." Harry said, stopping an argument that was brewing between Ron and Hermione.

It wasn't going to be that simple. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.

It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.

"Shut up, Peeves, please, you'll get us thrown out."

Peeves cackled.

"Wandering around at midnight, Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please."

"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Get out of the way," snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves ; this was a big mistake.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

Ducking under Peeves, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door, and it was locked.

"This is it!" Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door, "We're done for! This is the end!"

They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could toward Peeves's shouts.

"I don't want to die!" Annastazia screamed, pounding her right fist on the lock door

"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. She grabbed Harry's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, "Alohomora!"

The lock clicked and the door swung open. They piled through it, shut it quickly, and pressed their ears against it, listening.

"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."

"Say 'please.'"

"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go ?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.

"All right: please."

"NOTHING! Ha ha! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Ha!" And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.

"I don't think he's coming in." Annastazia whispered. "We're not getting expelled to day!"

Neville was making some weird, annoying a noise and Annastazia was just about to turn around and tell him to be quiet when something caught her eye.

This was a nightmare. She was sure of it. She gulped and gripped Wisteria, who was beginning to hiss, tightly

They weren't in a room, as she had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.

They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs. A Cerberus.

It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Annastazia knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant. She wasn't going to end up as dog food, not today, not ever.

She tried to grope for the doorknob, but could not find it. She was becoming increasingly worried; between Filch and death, she'd take Filch.

Annastazia felt like all hope was lost. She couldn't do anything but stand there, could she? But she had a pair of lungs. Annastazia let out a high and bloodcurdling scream. She felt her chest become tight and some how she knew this was the end. Goodbye, cruel world! Annastazia tried not to imagine what being eaten by a three headed dog felt like, but she couldn't help it. She could practically feel her whole body being turned to minced meat by those yellow, sharpened canines. Annastazia was still screaming when she felt tears start to stream down her cheeks. She closed her eyes tightly, awaiting her death.

But it never came, she fell backward, Harry slammed the door shut and grabbed Annastazia's wrist and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared, all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.

"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.

"Never mind that, pig snout, pig snout," panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.

It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he'd never speak again.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again.

"You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on.

"The floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet, I was too busy with its heads."

"No, not the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."

She stood up, glaring at them.

"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed, or worse, expelled."

"We almost died, Hermione! Don't you care?" Annastazia cried, her voice shaky.

"Of course I care. I care that it was your fault. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

Ron stared after her, his mouth open.

"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?"

Annastazia looked Wisteria in the eye and brought her to her chest, hugging her tightly.

"We almost died." Annastazia whispered.

But somehow, Annastazia just knew that this wasn't the end of that matter. What could that huge beast be hiding? She really didn't know. What Annastazia did know, however, was that there was something sinister happening at Hogwarts, and they had somehow just got very violently shoved into the middle of it.

 ** _Hi guys! It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, long story short I lost inspiration for a bit but I'm back now._**

 ** _Purplestan: Well, she's grown up with Draco all her life and if he calls him Grandfather then she's going to follow suit, probably not wanting to stick out more than she already is._**

 ** _Guys, I'm going to try and update more quickly now that I've got a clear picture on my head of what's going on with Annastazia. Thank you for all your lovely reviews! I read them and love them all dearly._**

 ** _Loved it? Hated it? Review it!_**

 ** _Tiger without stripes _**


	8. Halloween

Annastazia was glad she'd brought a coat, but was woefully underprepared for the bitter cold that reeked havoc on her hands and the tips of her ears. The grounds of Hogwarts had become resplendent and as the year smoothly transitioned into the frosty months of winter it became increasingly difficult for Annastazia to think about the prospect of Christmas without her family.

She needed to solve the issue because at this rate she was going to end up exactly like her father: alone and and a complete psychopath.

Annastazia's numb fingers held an envelope that contained a letter of upmost importance. It was addressed to her uncle and aunt, and would hopefully put her Uncle Lucius off the idea of shipping her off to Beauxbatons for a while. After she gave the letter hesitantly to Harry's owl Hedwig, she left the Owlery.

She was still shaken after last night, and hardly slept at all. But a blessing came out of that horrific near death experience, her mind had been cleansed of negative thoughts and in their place bloomed one that made her realise that there was no point in hiding anymore, she should just send off the letter and wait for a reply. The reply, whether negative or positive, would be a blessing.

"Good morning," Annastazia said, whilst sitting down at the breakfast table.

"Look at Malfoy!" Ron hissed as soon as she sat down.

Annastazia whipped around to see Draco glaring sourly at the three of them. She was confused for a moment, before she realised that he probably meant for the group of them to be expelled because of their escapade that he caused the night before.

Harry and Ronald, to Annastazia's chagrin, looked unaffected by the near death experience they had suffered mere hours ago. In fact, they wanted to have another adventure, and Annastazia had been quick to reaffirm that she would not be joining.

So, instead of planning their next adventure they had began to speculate what was under the trap door..

"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.

"Or both," said Harry.

Annastazia sent the boys a look as she spread marmalade over her toast.

"It's not our business, so we shouldn't get involved." Annastazia told them sternly.

"Not our business? We nearly got eaten by bloody massive monster!" Ron exclaimed.

"Exactly." She said turning away to take a bite of her toast.

"Aren't you a little curious, Annastazia?" Harry asked, looking at her deploringly.

Annastazia frowned and dropped her toast on her plate. Was she curious? It wouldn't do any harm just to guess, would it? After all, there was nothing better to do, other than homework of course.

"I think," She began, mulling the possibilities around in her mind. "That it isn't dangerous. Simply because of the fact that we are in a school, which has children in it."

"Fair point." Ron shrugged.

"But, just so we're clear, I don't really care." Annastazia said, continuing her breakfast.

Although Annastazia had said those words, her mind kept going back to what it could be.

But as all she knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, she didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.

Neville and Hermione didn't care what was underneath the trap door, so much so that the both of them had refused to speak about the night after it happened.

Hermione was now refusing to speak to the trio, but she had such a grating personality that they saw this as an added bonus.

Furthermore, Harry and Ron seemed eager to get Draco back for tricking them,

and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. Annastazia looked up and was surprised when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of Harry spraying bits of breakfast all over the table. The owls had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.

Annastazia looked over in curiosity as Harry tore open the envelope. He looked as if Christmas had come early when he passed the note to Annastazia to read, who adjusted where she read it slightly so Ron could read it too.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one."

"That's the best broom in the market, Harry." Annastazia said, pushing away her breakfast and looking at the package with astonishment.

They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Draco seized the package from Harry and felt it.

"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Harry with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them."

Ron smiled victoriously and Annastazia shook her head, but there was no stopping him.

"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty? Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."

"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Draco snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."

Before Ron could jump in to furiously defend himself, Professor Flitwick appeared at Draco's elbow.

"Not arguing, I hope, boys? Miss Black?" He squeaked.

"No, sir. We were just walking up when they blocked our way." Annastazia said to the Professor.

"Really?" Professor Flitwick turned to the Slytherins. "Whatever for, boys?"

"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter. And what model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand, it is," said Harry, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," he added.

The group headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Draco's obvious rage and confusion.

"Well, it's true," Harry chortled as they reached the top of the marble staircase, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team..."

"Yes, I suppose it is. Funny how things work out, isn't it?" Annastazia remarked.

"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" Came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs, looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand.

Annastazia looked at her in annoyance.

"Don't you know it's rude to listen in to people's conversations." Annastazia asked.

"How am I not supposed to listen when you're speaking so loud?" Hermione answers back.

"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry.

"Yes, don't stop now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good."

Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.

Throughout lessons that day, Annastazia, try as she might could not get the mystery object off her mind. It was so annoying. There was several inconsistencies that just didn't add up. What in Merlin's name was that thing trying to gain access to the Manor during the summer? She knew the events were interlinked, it was too much of a coincidence for them not to. Annastazia was also very exited about Harry's new broomstick, although she didn't really play quidditch, she liked flying and enjoyed the atmosphere of quidditch games.

They ate their dinner quickly that evening, and then rushed upstairs to the boy' dormitory to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last.

"Merlin, it smells ghastly in here." Annastazia said, her nose wrinkling slightly.

"Never mind, never mind, look!" Said Harry excitedly.

"Wow," Ron sighed, as the broomstick rolled onto Harry's bedspread.

The broomstick was beautiful sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top.

"May I touch it?" Annastazia asked to Harry, who nodded.

Annastazia picked it.

"This broom truly is amazing." She said, handling it with caution.

Then, she remembered what she was supposed to be doing.

"Right, I'm going to the library." Annastazia said, passing the broom to Ron and scuttling out of the room.

"Why?" She heard Harry shout.

"Research." Annastazia answered ominously, poking her head around the door, before walking off quickly to the library.

At seven o'clock drew nearer, Annastazia left the library, where she had bean writing notes and theorising about their dilemma all day, to go to the common room, hoping to catch Harry on his way out to Quidditch practise to wish him good luck. When she got there, however, Harry had already left. Slightly disappointed but not deterred in the slightest, Annastazia found Ron and led him to a table in the corner of common room.

"I have made some notes that I wanted to go over with you." Said Annastazia, sitting down in a chair and plucking her notes out of her sachel.

"Er, about what?" Ron asked, looking confused.

"The situation." Annastazia whispered ominously, leaning forward slightly.

"You've lost me, what situation?"

"Holy Merlin," Annastazia whispered, and then said louder. "The three headed dog."

"Oh, right. So you care now, do you?" Ron said smugly.

"Yes, yes I do." Annastazia pushes her notes towards him. "Now read these."

Ron looked at the pile of notes with a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Can you just summarise them? I'm not much of a reader."

Annastazia looked at him in amazement, then nodded.

"Right, so, the three headed dog. It's guarding something, from someone. But, why put a monster to guard it inside Hogwarts? Hogwarts has some of the best defensive wards in the world. So, someone inside Hogwarts must be trying to steal it." Annastazia stated.

"One of the pupils?"

Annastazia shook her head slowly.

"How would a child be able to infiltrate Gringotts and not get caught?"

"Then you mean... One of the Professors?" Ron gasped.

Annastazia nodded.

"I've comprised a fact file about everything we know about each Professor." Annastazia pointed towards the parchment. "Who do you think is the most likely to want to stea-"

"Snape."

"What?"

"Snape." Repeated Ron adamantly.

"But Ron, you haven't even looked at my notes yet, how do you know?"

"He's scary, he's horrible, he's ugly. Typical bad guy. Case closed."

"But, Ron-"

"Alright then, who else do you think could of done it if you don't think it was Snape?" Ron asked with a triumphant look on his face.

"Maybe," Annastazia looked at her notes. "Professor Quirrell."

"What? No way! You've gone barmy! He's scared of his own reflection." Ron cried.

"Exactly! How could someone who works as the defence against the dark arts teacher be that scared." Annastazia said, looking smug.

"Wait, you think it's an act?"

"Of course. And a rubbish act at that. That stutter is so fake." Annastazia ranted.

Ron looked at her for a moment, and then exploded into sudden laughter.

"You're reading to much into this." Ron chuckled.

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are! It's Snape!"

"Well maybe I am, but let's just not focus our attention on Snape."

"But it's obviously Snape!"

"What's obviously Snape?" Two identical voices sounded behind Annastazia.

Annastazia whipped round to see the Weasley twins standing there, wearing identical jumpers and identical smiles.

"Oh, go away! It's none of your business!" Annastazia scowled.

"Ah, so you can speak English-"

"-and not just French."

"Obviously." Annastazia said, "Now please can you go!"

"No." They said together.

"Why?"

"We have a reason."

"Just go away!" Ron snapped at his brothers looking between the twins and Annastazia.

"Ron, it's alright. Now tell me your reason or get lost!"

They looked at each other, and then back to Annastazia.

"Rude."

Annastazia was just about to blow her lid when they began to tell their story.

"We met your cousin in the corridor on the way back to the common room-"

"-looking right miserable he was-"

"-he asked us if we could pass you this note-"

"-very rudely. if I may add. That boy has no manners"

And then, with no goodbye, they gave her the note and left as soon as they came.

"What is it?" Ron asked.

Annastazia looked at the envelope, it had not been opened. She sighed and tore it open, extracting the letter from within.

It looked like it had been furiously scribbled down in a fit of rage.

 _Black,_

 _Did you snitch on me to mother? You dirty blood-traitor! I just got a letter from her saying that I am not going to receive any sweets for the whole of November because I've been nasty. Black, I swear to Merlin, if you told mother off me I'm going to kill you._

"Well, did you snitch on him?" Asked Ron, looking over her shoulder.

"Of course I did." Affirmed Annastazia, smirking like she'd never smirked before.p

When Harry returned later that night, Annastazia told him about her theory. Harry listened intently, and when Annastazia theorised about the professors, Harry-to Annastazia's chagrin, whole heartedly agreed with Ron that Professor Snape was the culprit.

The days passed unbelievably quickly, and Annastazia could not believe she had been at Hogwarts for two months. Between fighting with Draco, homework and making the best of a bad situation, Annastazia had just let the days fly by without really thinking about them. The castle was becoming more like home as the weeks went by, but Annastazia felt herself sometimes missing the dark and eerie corridors of Malfoy Manor. Her lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.

On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice, and to Annastazia's dismay, she was paired up with neither Ron or Harry, but Lavender Brown, who she'd never once had a proper conversation with. Harry was paired up with Seamus and Ron was to be working with Hermione Granger. It was hard to tell whether Ron or Hermione were angrier about this. She hadn't spoken to either of them since the day Harry's broomstick had arrived.

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too. Never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

Annastazia began by reminding herself of the wand movement and then working on her pronunciation. When she was finally ready to cast the spell however, she noticed their feather was missing and turned to Lavender, who seemed to take this as an invitation to have a conversation.

"Have you ever considered wearing blush?" Lavender began, twirling their feather between her fingers.

"Excuse me?"

"Not to sound rude or anything, but your complexion is a bit... pasty."

Annastazia looked at Lavender with a bored look a placed her wand on the desk.

"Yes I know, I do know my own skin tone." Annastazia said gently to her, picking her wand back up and hoping that would be the end of the conversation.

"Well, anyway, I've got blush you can use if you ever want to not look like a vampire." Lavender giggled, smiling at her.

Annastazia doubted there was any ill-intent hidden in Lavender's words and doubted the girl was trying to be anything but friendly. She was just... tactless.

"Thanks." Annastazia muttered, and was willing to let the conversation end there. "May I have the feather?"

Unfortunately, someone else wasn't.

"Lavender! That was very rude, you can't call someone a vampire!" Hermione Granger piped up from nearby.

"Don't tell me what I can or can't do, Granger, you stupid know-it-all!" Lavender said, her face flushing slightly.

"'Stupid know-it-all.' How original..." Annastazia whispered to Harry, who snorted in amusement.

Lavender handed over the feather with a moody look on her face. Annastazia tried the charm the first time. It didn't work. She tried it a second time. It didn't work. She sighed deeply in frustration and then decided to look around the room at other people casting the spell to determine what she was doing wrong.

Ron, who was sitting next to Hermione, was creating an amusing scene. Annastazia abandoned her endeavour and decided that this would much more interesting to watch.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron shouted, waving his long arms like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," Hermione snapped. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron snarled.

Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.

"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Granger's done it!"

Annastazia turned round with a new found confidence.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" She said, and this time it actually worked.

She smiled in delight as her feather rose of the desk.

"Well done," Harry complimented, looking meekly at his own feather which had not moved an inch.

Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her," He said to Annastazia and Harry as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "She's a nightmare, honestly."

Someone knocked into the group as they hurried past them. It was Hermione. Annastazia caught a glimpse of her tear stained face and shared a surprised look with Harry.

"I think she heard you."

"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

Annastazia rolled her eyes at the boys and looked guiltily at Hermione's retreating back.

Hermione didn't turn up for the next class and wasn't seen all afternoon. When the trio went to enter the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, they all heard Parvati telling Lavender that Hermione had been crying in the girls' bathroom, and Annastazia felt an unusual pang of guilt. Although the girl was not her friend, Annastazia felt sorry for her. She knew what it was like to be unliked at Hogwarts and what Ron said was admittedly very nasty. Annastazia also felt she owed something to her, after she defended her when Lavender had made that comment.

"Uh, I'll be back in a minute. I just have to... do something." Annastazia said, walking out into the corridor.

Harry frowned, a confused look formed on his face.

"Where are you go-"

"Come on Harry, I'm starving. Annastazia will catch up to us." Ron interrupted, pulling Harry into the Great Hall.

Harry gave Annastazia a fleeting smile, and Annastazia nodded back. Determinedly, she left to go to find Hermione. She wasn't very good at comforting people, but she'd try. As she neared the bathroom, Annastazia considered going back to the Great Hall but she talked herself out of it. Hermione was crying, and Annastazia felt bad. Before she could try sand dissuade herself again, she pushed the door open carefully.

"Hermione?" Annastazia said softly, her shoes padding softly on the tiled floor as she entered slowly into the room.

Annastazia could hear Hermione's soft sniffles echoing throughout the bathroom and grimaced slightly.

"Hermione? It's Annastazia. Annastazia Black." She called.

"Go away!" A voice sounded from one of the cubicles.

Annastazia walked up to the cubicle and stood awkwardly outside.

"Hermione, look, Ron didn't mean to say what he said, he's just a little insensitive sometimes..."

"Insensitive? Insensitive!" Hermione shouted.

Annastazia could hear Hermione unlocking the door. Hermione forcefully oped the door, her tear stained face forming an angry expression.

"He's not insensitive, he's damn right rude! And it's not only him, no one's been nice to me. Not even you, who I've made every effort to be nice to. What do I get in return? Some snobby response. It's not fair! I've tried to fit in, but people just don't let me. I've learnt everything I can learn, I've been nice to everybody and it's just not good enough." Hermione sobbed.

Hermione stood in the doorway of the cubicle, her eyes flooded with tears.

"Hermione, here..." Annastazia plucked a clean handkerchief out of her pocket and passed it to Hermione, who tried to wipe away her tears furiously.

Annastazia wrung her fingers slowly, thinking of what to say.

"I...I haven't had an easy time either. My cousin no longer wants to see me, I haven't heard off my family since the sorting and I just...I don't know how to describe it, but I'm feeling very sad on the inside but I don't want it to show on the outside because... I want to fit in too. And I'm making up excuses for being nasty to you when I really shouldn't because there was no reason for me to. I'm terribly sorry that I made you feel that way, Hermione, and I'm incredibly ashamed of my behaviour. I will try to be civil in the future."

Annastazia took a deep breath and nodded to Hermione, turning to leave as she did so.

"Annastazia? Thank you, I really mean it, you should be enjoying the feast and I'm the reas-"

"Don't get all soppy on me now, Hermione, I was the one on the wrong. Now come on, there's food calling us."

Hermione smiled and Annastazia smiled back. They were just about to leave the bathroom when Annastazia stopped, her hand poised on the door handle. She could hear a dragging and shuffling sound outside, and a low grunting sound.

"What's that smell?" Hermione said, her face forming an expression of disgust.

Annastazia sniffed the air intensely, and then she smelt it. It was a nauseating stench that almost made her retch. It was so repulsive that Annastazia backed off further into the bathroom, Hermione in tow.

"What is it?"

"I have no idea. But it might be prudent to hide."

The girls took off in a quite sprint back to the cubicle Hermione and been crying in and stuffed themselves into it, closing the door quietly.

Annastazia's eyes widened suddenly when she heard the bathroom door opening and the monstrous thing, whatever it was, come closer to their cubicle, it's grunts becoming louder and the smell becoming more overwhelming by the second. Annastazia squeezed her eyes tightly shut and huddled into Hermione, hoping that it would just leave them alone.

Then the cubicle door swung open with a squeak and Annastazia cursed herself for not locking it. Standing there in front of her was some kind of troll, it's skin a dull grey colour. It towered over them with a dumb expression and a wooden club clutched tightly in it's one hand.

A second passed as they all looked at each other in astonishment, and then the girls let out a high and petrified scream together in unison. They leaped quickly towards the sink, just as the wooden cubicle exploded behind them, wood flying everywhere.

And then, the troll advanced on them again. As it swung it's club, Annastazia and Hermione dived out of the way, the sink-which they were previously standing by- shattering violently next to them.

"Holy Merlin, we're going to die!" Screeched Annastazia, in a total state of panic.

But just as Annastazia thought she was going to be brutally beaten to death by a troll, Ron and Harry erupted through the door.

Annastazia screamed to get their attention and Ron threw a tap at the wall.

"What are you doing?" Annastazia yelled. "Kill it!"

The troll was going berserk. Pieces of broken sink and wood from the smashed cubicle flew through the air in every direction in an effort to distracted the beast and the frantic yells and hysterical screams of the group reverberated throughout the bathroom, doing nothing to calm the monster.

Harry and Ron was desperately trying to distract it, and Annastazia looked away from the troll for one second to see where Hermione was when the monster stuck out one of its huge hands and grabbed hold of one of Annastazia's French braids.

Annastazia reached up to grab the trolls hand to try and stop the monster and to quell the pain, but he rapidly lifted Annastazia up in the air, her body swinging as she tried to find a foothold. It picked her up like a rag doll, and know seemed to be refusing to put her down.

"Harry!" She gasped, and then, "Get off me you illiterate oaf!"

The troll was getting ready to hit her with it's club, but as it swung it's weapon back,

Harry jumped on top of it. Annastazia was screaming again, hoping to at least draw some attention to what was going on in the bathroom. The troll was now looking around with a dazed and confused look in his eyes, but still refused to let go of Annastazia, who was kicking her legs around pathetically in mid air.

Then, the beast began to twist and flail in pain. Annastazia looked up suddenly, and saw Harry's wand poking out one of the troll's nostrils. The troll was still holding Annastazia in a tight grip, and she was sure with all the flailing about it was doing it would surely slam her head against one of the tiled walls. Her wand slipped out of her robe pocket, and clattered onto the floor. Hermione darted our and took the wand, safely cradling it in her arms.

As it swung her around, she smashed into another wooden cubicle but this time she came out of the ordeal clutching a sharp piece of smashed wood. With a yell of determination, she used the momentum she had gained from swinging to and fro by her hair and plunged the sharp piece of wood into the troll's arm. With a grunt of pain, it let her go. Annastazia fell hard onto the tiled floor, but with too much adrenaline in her body, she hardly noticed.

She sprinted over to Hermione, who had sunk to the floor in fright, and spotted a broken piece of sink. She picked it up, cutting her hand in the process, and lobbed it at the troll's head where it exploded satisfyingly.

The troll advanced on the girls again, but this time Ron was ready. Ron pulled out his wand and yelled:

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

The wooden weapon flew unexpectedly out of the troll's hand, rose high up into the air, turned slowly over, and dropped, with a sickening crack, onto its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the whole room tremble.

Annastazia stood there, her hair frazzled and her jaw slack, poised with another piece of sharp wood. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done. Harry looks looked out of breath, shaking slightly, and completely surprised at what had just transpired bathroom.

It was Hermione who spoke first.

"Is it...dead?"

"I don't think so," said Harry, "I think it's just been knocked out."

"Do you want me to stab it again?" Annastazia proposed, "Just to make sure it doesn't wake up?"

Annastazia moved forward but Harry stopped her.

"No, uh, I think it's okay for now, Annastazia." Harry said, a slightly scared look on his face.

"You might want to get your wand, then." Annastazia said, gesturing down

Harry bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like a potion gone wrong.

"Urgh... Troll boogers."

He wiped it on the troll's trousers.

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the four of them look up. Annastazia raised her piece of wood threateningly, but lowered it meekly when she noticed who entered.

Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Professor Snape, with Professor Quirrell bringing up the rear. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on one of the only still intact toilets, clutching his heart. Annastazia looked at the Professor with a unamused look in her eyes. They, four first years, had just taken out a troll and he looked like he was going to have a heart attack.

Snape bent over the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Annastazia, Ron and Hermione. They had never seen her look so angry. Her lips were white.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

Professor Snape looked at Harry, before giving Annastazia a swift, piercing look. Annastazia couldn't meet his eyes no longer, so looked away, still clutching the piece of wood.

Annastazia looked around, nobody was going to say anything. But then, a small voice came out of the shadows.

"Please, Professor McGonagall, they were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.

"I went looking for the troll because I... I thought I could deal with it on my own, you know, because I've read all about them."

Ron dropped his wand. Hermione Granger, telling a downright lie to a teacher?

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up it's nose, Annastazia stabbed it with a piece of wood and Ron knocked it out with its own club. They didn't have time to come and fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

They tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them.

"Well... In that case..." said Professor McGonagall, staring at the four of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Hermione hung her head. Annastazia looked at Hermione, puzzled. Hermione was a stickler to the rules, and her pretending she'd broken one of them was so unbelievable it almost made Annastazia gasp out loud.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," said Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."

Hermione left.

Professor McGonagall turned to Annastazia, Harry and Ron.

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

"Let's not be too hasty, Professor." Professor Snape's smooth voice spoke.

Annastazia looked up. What in Merlin's sake was the problem now?

"I do not recall seeing Miss Black during the feast."

Oh.

"I was there Professor, I was just... sitting behind an incredibly tall person." Annastazia lied.

"Which tall person, may I ask?"

She looked around and her eyes landed on Ron, he shook his head slowly but Annastazia merely smirked in return.

"Ronald." Annastazia said confidently, smiling up at the Professor as if nothing was wrong and pointing her piece of wood towards Ron.

"You see, Severus. You may leave now."

Annastazia turned around to leave the bathroom.

"And drop that piece of wood, Miss Black!"

Annastazia dropped it like it was on fire and then they hurried out of the bathroom, not darting to look back, and didn't speak at all until they had climbed two floors up. It was a relief to be away from the smell of the troll, quite apart from anything else.

"We should have gotten more than fifteen points," Ron grumbled.

"Ten, you mean, once she's taken off Hermione's."

"Good of her to get us out of trouble like that," Ron admitted. "Mind you, we did save her."

"She might not have needed saving if we hadn't locked the thing in with her," Harry reminded him.

Annastazia brought up the rear and looked at them both. Her hair was a mess and her clothes were ripped in places. She was nursing the shallow cut on her hand, and had been hobbling along behind them.

"Two near death experiences so far! My word, what will we face next? A werewolf?" Annastazia asked exasperatedly.

They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Let's bloody hope not. A troll I can deal with. A werewolf..." Ron made a low whistling sound.

"Pig snout," They said and entered.

"'Let's not be too hasty, Professor'" Annastazia said, in a high and mocking tone. "Merlin, I want to punch his stupid face."

"Welcome to the club" Ron said, sharing smile with Harry.

The common room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassed pause. Then, none of them looking at each other, they all said "Thanks," and hurried off to get plates. Hermione came back a second later with Annastazia's wand, they smiled at each other, and walked over in the direction of the pumpkin juice.

And from that moment on, Hermione Granger became Annastazia's first muggle-born friend. And Annastazia didn't mind that one bit.

 **Oh hi, thanks for checking in, I'm still a piece of garbage.**

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